PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th July, 2023) Over 740 people have been given real prison sentences in France after the recent riots over the killing of a 17-year-old by police, French Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said Wednesday.
"I spoke directly to the prosecutor general and asked for firm solutions: 1,278 charges have been brought, 95% of which have led to convictions; 1,056 people have been sentenced to prison, 742 of which are real prison sentences," the minister told French radio RTL.
He added that the average sentence is 8.2 months and that 600 people have already been imprisoned.
Dupond-Moretti also stressed the need for a serious response.
"It was extremely important to show a firm and systematic response. I asked (prefects) to bring the perpetrators to justice wherever possible," he said.
On Monday, French Transport Minister Clement Beaune said that the damage to public transport as a result of the riots was estimated at tens of millions of Euros.
On June 27, Nahel Merzouk, a 17-year-old French of Moroccan and Algerian descent, was shot by a police officer for allegedly refusing to follow orders during a traffic stop. The incident sparked mass nationwide protests that lasted for over a week. The French Interior Ministry said the protesting youth set on fire more than 12,000 cars, as well as about 500 city halls, police stations and other government buildings. The economy ministry said over a 1,000 retail outlets, about 370 banks, 200 grocery stores and 436 tobacco shops were looted. More than 4,000 people were detained, a significant part of whom were minors.
