France is experiencing an ongoing series of attacks on penitentiary institutions and their staff. On the night of Monday, April 21, new incidents were reported, according to Le Figaro.
French Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin announced on social media platform X that prison and detention center staff were attacked the previous night. Although no one was injured, the minister described the actions as an “attempt to intimidate the Republic” at a time when the state is reinforcing control and order in prisons.
The minister did not provide further details about the incidents, but the FO Justice union reported that two vehicles were set on fire in the parking lot of the Lyon-Corbas prison. The union also stated that one of the houses was mistakenly targeted, as the attackers believed a prison staff member lived there.
FO Justice strongly condemned the attacks, calling the perpetrators’ actions “cowardly and despicable,” and demanded immediate measures to ensure the safety of prison staff, a swift and exemplary investigation, and a strong response from the judicial system.
This is not the first incident of this kind in recent weeks. Since April 15, a wave of attacks on prisons and arson against prison staff vehicles has spread across the country. French authorities are calling this an unprecedented threat.
President Emmanuel Macron promised that all those responsible would be found and punished. Minister of the Interior Bruno Retayo suggested that drug trafficking networks may be behind the attacks, attempting to exert pressure on the justice system.
