UPDATE - France reports 2,513 detentions after protests, police watchdog opens 4 probes

ADDS MORE DATA; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK, AND LEDE

By Seyma Erkul Dayanc

ISTANBUL (AA) - A total of 2,513 people were placed in police custody following France’s mass weekend protests, with 67 already jailed, said the country’s justice minister on Monday, as the National Police Inspectorate opened four investigations into alleged police misconduct during the demonstrations, France info reported.

Speaking on TF1, Gerald Darmanin said Monday that most of those detained remained in police custody.

More than 500 were brought before a court for immediate hearings scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, he said.

Darmanin also said he had instructed prosecutors across France to classify cases as organized crime where applicable, a measure that would allow police custody to be extended from 48 to 72 hours.

He said this would also enable the use of geolocation and telephone surveillance measures to establish suspects’ whereabouts during incidents involving looting and attacks on town halls.

Darmanin said 67 people had already been imprisoned, including 34 within the jurisdiction of the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal.

Separately, Republican presidential candidate Bruno Retailleau proposed introducing a “charter of republican order” into the Constitution, including minimum sentences to address violence.

Speaking to French broadcaster BFMTV, the former interior minister also called for an anti-riot law allowing joint criminal and civil liability for individuals found in a crowd.

Investigations by the police inspectorate concern incidents involving police officers during the protests, French public broadcaster Franceinfo reported.

The investigations follow several weeks of student-led protests, during which authorities have faced scrutiny over police interventions and injuries reported among demonstrators.

On Oct. 13, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the inspectorate had opened 36 investigations into alleged incidents since the start of the student mobilization, including four involving “mutilating injuries” and six concerning “significant injuries.”

The protests have also resulted in injuries among police officers and education staff, while authorities have defended their response to incidents of violence during demonstrations.

Şeyma Erkul Dayanç