Hostage taking at Arles prison: an armed inmate with a “psychiatric profile” holds four people, a nurse has been released

A hostage taking is underway at Arles prison. Three members of the medical staff and a prison guard are still detained according to La Provence, while a nurse was released shortly before 3 p.m. The daily indicates that the Raid would be mobilized. BFM Marseille Provence specifies that the inmate, at the origin of the hostage-taking, would be armed and would threaten the staff with a bladed weapon. The detainee has a “psychiatric profile, not a terrorist profile or anything else”, the prison administration clarified to AFP, stressing that the regional intervention and security teams (Eris) are on site, as well as the local prison security teams (ELSP).

Provence recalls that in October, the FO Justice union was concerned about “the situation of the central prison in Arles in particular with regard to the safety of agents, the care of detainees, and the effectiveness of the systems in place “.

Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin commented on the hostage-taking on X, reaffirming that the government has “mobilized all means to deal with it”. According to BFMTVin addition to the Raid, a regional intervention and security team was called.

The deputy for the 15th constituency of Bouches-du-Rhone Romain Baudry, as well as certain members of the family of the hostages were also present at the scene of the hostage-taking, at the Arles prison, according to our colleagues from Provence.

A radicalized inmate

Provence also provides details regarding the profile of the hostage taker. We thus learn that it is a 37-year-old inmate, convicted of rape under threat who had been the subject of a report for religious radicalization. But, according to our colleagues, religion would not be the motivation of the hostage taker, a case of refusal of transfer could explain his action. The inmate was eligible for release in 2031, a source close to the case told AFP.

More information to follow…