France fast-tracks trials, jails suspects after weekend riots
PARIS: French courts have swiftly handed out verdicts, including orders to serve jail time, in fast-track justice for defendants accused over the rioting that erupted on the sidelines of protests at the weekend.
French courts are swiftly sentencing defendants accused of participating in riots that erupted following protests over the weekend. The government claims these accelerated legal processes are necessary to restore order after some of the worst urban violence in recent years. However, courts are reportedly overwhelmed and some lawyers argue the scale of the hearings resembles state repression.
In the case of Mathilde B., a 19-year-old student who traveled from Auxerre to Paris for the riots, she received a five-month suspended prison sentence for possessing a knuckleduster and switchblade and discussing guerrilla warfare online. Francois D., a 20-year-old who also came from Auxerre to participate in the riots, was immediately jailed as part of an eight-month sentence, with two months to be served in custody.
Prosecutors demanded a five-month sentence with immediate custody for Tristan Lawless, but he argued the trial was conducted on the basis of a 50-page case file that was rushed together, with vague reports and missing details. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said out of 2,500 people arrested nationwide, 917 are being prosecuted, praising the "truly impressive figure."
He noted that holding cells are full, emphasizing the government's "great firmness." However, critics argue that Darmanin is putting pressure on judges to impose harsher penalties and that young people are being publicly celebrated rather than given a fair trial.
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