France, Aug. 15 -- President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Friday condemned antisemitic hatred after a tree planted in tribute to Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Jewish man, was cut down. Halimi was kidnapped and tortured in January 2006.

On 20 January that year, Halimi was forced into a car in Sceaux on the southern outskirts of Paris. He was held first in a flat in nearby Bagneux, then in a cellar in the town, by a group of about 20 people calling themselves the "Barbarian Gang".

The gang demanded up to 450,000 euros from Halimi's parents for his release.

He was freed on 13 February 2006 about 20km from Bagneux, near Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois railway station. He died on the way to hospital.

"Cutting down the tree ...