Overview

• Faïd, 53, left the high‑security prison of Vendin‑le‑Vieil on Thursday for Condé‑sur‑Sarthe, a transfer confirmed to AFP by his lawyer and a union source after being reported by Ici Nord.
• The Douai appeals chamber last month upheld a Béthune judge’s decision and gave the prison administration one month to ease conditions it deemed contrary to human dignity, citing years of isolation, hygiaphone‑only visits and reduced natural light.
• Defense lawyer Salomé Cohen condemned the transfer as a way to sidestep the court’s injunctions and said her client was placed back in isolation at Condé‑sur‑Sarthe.
• Multiple outlets, including RTL, reported that the transfer was carried out by helicopter, which the defense characterized as a staged show of force.
• Faïd was sentenced in October 2023 to 14 years for his 2018 helicopter escape and has prior convictions, with AFP reporting his current release date as August 17, 2057, though other outlets have cited differing calculations.