Overview
- More than 6,000 people gathered in Marseille and rallies were held in dozens of other cities after the 13 November shooting of 20‑year‑old Mehdi Kessaci.
- Investigators suspect the killing targeted his brother, anti‑narco activist Amine Kessaci, with press reports pointing to an order from within prison by the DZ Mafia leadership.
- Officials are fast‑tracking tougher tools against organized crime, including a specialized prosecutor’s office and a cooperating‑witness framework modeled on Italian anti‑mafia practices.
- Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin is pushing a zero‑phones policy in prisons after 80,000 devices were seized last year, as authorities cite illicit communications that can direct violence from behind bars.
- High‑security ‘narco‑prisons’ are being expanded and the alleged DZ boss Amine O. was moved to such a facility after a phone was found in his cell, underscoring the state’s bid to sever outside control of drug networks.