A tense standoff unfolded on Friday at a prison in the southern French city of Arles when an inmate took five prison staff members hostage in the facility’s infirmary.
At approximately 11:15 am (1015 GMT), the 37-year-old prisoner, armed with a homemade shank, seized four nurses and one prison guard.
Sources from the prison service indicated that the inmate, serving a sentence for armed rape, has a history of “significant psychiatric disturbances,” but clarified that he does not have the “profile of a terrorist.”
The prisoner, whose sentence extends until 2031, is reportedly demanding to be transferred to another facility.
Authorities have responded swiftly, with the elite RAID police unit deployed to the scene.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed the development, assuring the public that all resources are being mobilized to resolve the situation.
“We’ve mobilised all our resources,” Darmanin wrote on X (formerly Twitter), adding that he was monitoring the situation in real-time.
As of now, the situation remains calm, with no further details on negotiations or potential resolution.
The identities of the hostages have not been released.
This incident marks the latest in a series of high-profile standoffs in French prisons, raising concerns over inmate management and the safety of prison staff.