Overview
- A judge granted the 24-hour employer leave despite objections from the prison director and the prosecutor, and the Douai appeals chamber confirmed the order.
- The detainee will travel with his wife to the Lyon area between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. without an escort, with local police notified and a security device planned, according to officials.
- Prosecutor Étienne Thieffry said the request met legal criteria but depended on judicial discretion; the 52-year-old previously escaped in 2014 and is slated for release in 2029.
- Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said he will propose early next year a legal framework with specific execution-of-sentence rules and a specialized judge for organized crime.
- The move comes alongside a €29 million “zero phone in prison” pilot at six prisons featuring anti-drone systems, stronger jammers and advanced screening, as unions and politicians denounce the leave as undercutting QLCO goals.