Coordinated Attacks on French Prisons: Fires, Threats, and Claims from a Mysterious Group

On the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, a series of targeted actions were carried out against French correctional facilities and prison staff. A group calling itself the “Defense of the Rights of French Prisoners” (DDPF) has claimed responsibility amid growing tensions surrounding government prison policies.

Arson Attacks in Tarascon and Seine-et-Marne

In Tarascon (Bouches-du-Rhône), three vehicles were set on fire around 5:20 a.m. in a secured parking lot reserved for staff at the local detention center. No suspects have been identified so far, and surveillance footage has provided no usable evidence, according to police sources. No markings or messages were found at the scene.

That same night, a fire broke out in the stairwell of a residential building in Villenoy, near the Meaux-Chauconin prison (Seine-et-Marne), where a prison officer resides. This time, the acronym “DDPF” — standing for “Defense of the Rights of French Prisoners” — was spray-painted on a wall. The same signature has been found at several other targeted sites in recent days.

A Spreading Threat

The DDPF group, previously unknown to French intelligence services, recently emerged on the encrypted messaging app Telegram. “We are not terrorists — we are here to defend human rights inside prisons,” the group wrote on its channel, where it has posted threatening messages toward prison staff along with video claims of responsibility.

Similar incidents have been reported elsewhere: in Aix-Luynes, a union representative’s car was torched outside his home. Prisons in Agen, Toulon, and Nanterre have also been targeted by arson attacks or gunfire in recent days.

Government Response: Counterterrorism Probe Launched

In response to this wave of coordinated assaults, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin denounced what he described on Europe 1 as an attempt to “destabilize the state.” He linked these actions to the government’s tough stance on drug trafficking and organized crime within the prison system: “Murders are being ordered from prison cells, money is laundered, and threats are made against judges and guards,” he said, also citing the recent escape of Mohamed Amra.

France’s national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) has launched an investigation into the attacks, including charges of “criminal terrorist conspiracy” and “attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise.” Early findings suggest the acts were premeditated and coordinated in response to recent high-security prison reforms.