Fleury-Mérogis Prison
{{Short description|Large prison in France}}
{{Expand French|Maison d'arrêt de Fleury-Mérogis|date=February 2012|topic=struct}}
{{Infobox prison
| name = Fleury-Mérogis Prison
| image = Prison de Fleury-Mérogis.jpg
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| location = Fleury-Mérogis, France
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| status = Operational
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| capacity = 2,956
| population = 4,300+
| population_as_of = 2018
| opened = 1968
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| managed_by = Ministry of Justice
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| country = France
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Fleury-Mérogis Prison (Maison d'arrêt de Fleury-Mérogis) is a prison in France, located in the town of Fleury-Mérogis, in the southern suburbs of Paris. With more than 4,100 prisoners, it is the largest prison in Europe.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/file_on_4/7301050.stm | work=BBC News | title=Inside Europe's largest prison | date=18 March 2008}}"[https://web.archive.org/web/20071204110732/http://www.mairie-fleury-merogis.fr/_recherche/presentation/histoire/_cp.asp LE CENTRE PENITENTIAIRE, LA PLUS GRANDE PRISON D’EUROPE]." Fleury-Mérogis. Retrieved on 6 May 2010. It is operated by the Ministry of Justice.
Fleury-Mérogis is notorious as a leading center of Islamist radicalization in European prisons.{{cite news|last1=Bisserbe|first1=Noemie|title=European Prisons Fueling Spread of Islamic Radicalism|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/european-prisons-fueling-spread-of-islamic-radicalism-1470001491|accessdate=23 August 2016|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=31 July 2016}}{{cite news|last1=Bremner|first1=Charles|title=Jihadists plot terror from French jail|url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/jihadists-plot-terror-from-french-jail-3x56rl0ss|access-date=23 August 2016|publisher=Times of London|date=23 August 2016}}{{cite web |last1=Birnbaum |first1=Michael |title=French prisons, long hotbeds of radical Islam, get new scrutiny after Paris attacks |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/paris-killers-radicalized-in-prison-now-leaders-want-to-fix-that-problem/2015/01/28/52271e28-a307-11e4-91fc-7dff95a14458_story.html |work=The Washington Post |accessdate=13 July 2019 |date=January 28, 2015}}
History
Built between 1964 and 1968, the 180 hectare complex of Fleury-Mérogis comprises four entities:
- a large men's jail;
- a smaller women's jail;
- a juveniles' jail;
- Gendarmerie barracks.
The main prison is formed by a polygonal central building from which radiate five blocks, each one consisting of three wings with four levels of cells. Each block has a capacity of 900 prisoners.
Fleury-Mérogis is one of the three main prisons of the Paris area, the Fresnes Prison (the second largest in France) and the La Santé Prison (located in the centre of Paris) being the other two.
In June 1981, a prison revolt occurred within the Corsican population of Fleury-Mérogis, who had been staying there due to their connections with the ongoing guerrilla conflict in Corsica. They demanded the release of Alain Orsoni, a leader of the National Liberation Front of Corsica in Paris, and Serge Cacciari, a key participant in the Aleria standoff accused of the shooting of a gendarme.{{Cite web |date=2019-08-28 |title=#corse StoriaCorsa 1981 « Procès Bastelica-Fesch, 90 patriotes en prison, trêve et amnistie » - |url=https://www.corsicainfurmazione.org/79726/corse-storiacorsa-1981-proces-bastelica-fesch-90-patriotes-en-prison-treve-et-amnistie/2019/ |access-date=2024-12-25 |language=fr-FR}}
Characteristics
There is wire surrounding the top of the building, preventing helicopter and other possible escapes. The bottom of the building is enclosed with trash that the prisoners have thrown.{{cite news|title=Inside Europe's largest prison|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/file_on_4/7301050.stm|work=Website|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=26 November 2013|date=18 March 2008}}
While overcrowded (at 143% capacity {{as of|2018|lc=yes}}, with over 4,300 inmates),{{cite web |last1=Willsher |first1=Kim |title=French police clash with striking guards at Europe's largest prison |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/19/french-police-clash-striking-guards-europe-largest-prison |publisher=The Guardian |accessdate=13 July 2019 |date=19 Jan 2018}} Fleury-Mérogis is still under less population stress than other locations such as Fresnes Prison and Villepinte Prison.{{cite web |title=Record number of suicides in France's largest prison |url=http://en.rfi.fr/france/20180808-record-number-suicides-france-s-largest-prison |publisher=RFI |accessdate=13 July 2019 |date=2018-08-08}}
Notable inmates
Infamous and notable past and present prisoners include:
- Salah Abdeslam (connected to the planning of the November 2015 Paris attacks and the 2016 Brussels bombings)
- Joëlle Aubron (member of Action directe revolutionary group)
- Djamel Beghal{{cite news|last1=Chrisafis|first1=Angelique|title=Charlie Hebdo attackers: born, raised and radicalised in Paris|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/12/-sp-charlie-hebdo-attackers-kids-france-radicalised-paris|accessdate=12 January 2015|date=12 January 2015|agency=The Guardian}}
- Serge Cacciari, Corsican militant accused of assassinating a gendarme during the Aleria standoff
- Georges Cipriani (member of Action directe revolutionary group)
- Amedy Coulibaly (one of three perpetrators of the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks)
- Christine Deviers-Joncour (protagonist of the Elf scandal)
- Hassan Diab (sociologist) (accused of first degree murder in 1980 Paris synagogue bombing, charges dropped, and released){{cite news|last1=Cobb|first1=Christopher|title=Exclusive: 'I feel so wonderful,' Diab discusses reuniting with family, release from French prison|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/exclusive-i-feel-so-wonderful-diab-discusses-reuniting-with-family-release-from-french-prison|accessdate=18 January 2018|work=Ottawa Citizen|date=17 January 2018}}
- JoeyStarr (sentenced for six months)
- Herve Ryssen (Herve Lalin) far right commentator.
- Chérif Kouachi (connected to the planning of the November 2015 Paris attacks and the 2016 Brussels bombings)
- Saad Lamjarred (accused of rape of a 20-year old woman){{cite news|title=Saad Lamjarred to Appear in Court Next Friday|url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2016/12/204082/saad-lamjarred-to-appear-in-court-next-friday/}}
- Jacques Mesrine (one of France's most notorious criminals)
- David Noakes British citizen and promoter of the unproven therapy GcMAF
- Alain Orsoni, Corsican politician and guerrilla leader, leader of the National Liberation Front of Corsica’s Paris division at the time of imprisonment{{Cite web |date=2019-08-28 |title=#corse StoriaCorsa 1981 « Procès Bastelica-Fesch, 90 patriotes en prison, trêve et amnistie » - |url=https://www.corsicainfurmazione.org/79726/corse-storiacorsa-1981-proces-bastelica-fesch-90-patriotes-en-prison-treve-et-amnistie/2019/ |access-date=2024-12-25 |language=fr-FR}}
- Thierry Paulin
- Petr Pavlensky (held while awaiting trial for political performance art resulting in property damage)
- Pascal Payet (Paroled in April 2019)
- Sinik (sentenced four times)
- Zouzou (for recreational drug use)
Notes
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Portal|France}}
- [http://www.annuaires.justice.gouv.fr/index.php?rubrique=10113&ssrubrique=10121&article=10667 Fleury-Mérogis - Etablissement pénitentiaire - maison d'arrêt] - Ministry of Justice of France {{in lang|fr}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|48.637904|N|2.3733248|E|source:kolossus-frwiki|display=title}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fleury-Merogis Prison}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Essonne