French prisoner demands transfer after taking five hostages in Arles infirmary

An inmate at a prison in Arles, southern France, took five staff members hostage on January 3 morning.

According to police and prison sources, the 37-year-old prisoner, armed with a handmade shank, held four nurses and one prison guard in the infirmary starting around 11:15 am (1015 GMT), Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The hostage-taker, serving time for armed rape, was reported to have significant psychiatric disturbances, though sources emphasized that he did not fit the profile of a terrorist. He is said to be demanding a transfer to a different prison, but the situation remains calm, according to a source familiar with the ongoing incident.

Police response units, including the elite RAID team, were quickly dispatched to the prison. Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed on social media that all resources had been mobilized to resolve the stand-off and assured the public he was closely monitoring the situation.

The inmate is set to remain incarcerated until 2031, the source added.

The Arles prison was built in the 1990s. It is designed to house 159 inmates, and currently, 137 individuals are serving their sentences there.

By Tamilla Hasanova