Overview
- The detainee, described as a top-tier narcotrafficker held under France’s new QLCO regime, secured permission to attend a professional appointment outside prison.
- Prison officials and the Béthune prosecutor first rejected the request before a sentences-enforcement judge backed it and the Douai chamber confirmed it on Friday.
- The outing has not yet occurred but can proceed soon because no further appeal is available under the ruling.
- UFAP‑UNSa Justice condemned the decision, arguing it undermines the ultra-restrictive QLCO framework and heightens security risks for staff.
- Opened this summer to isolate high-level organized-crime figures, the Vendin‑le‑Vieil QLCO holds about 100 of the country’s most dangerous inmates, and the detainee’s sentence runs until 2029.