France Sends Escapee Mohamed Amra to New Vendin-le-Vieil Supermax Prison

French prison authorities have begun notifying inmates of their imminent transfer to the new high-security facility in Vendin-le-Vieil, Pas-de-Calais, which is due to become operational on 31 July. The site is designed to house 100 prisoners deemed the country’s most dangerous narcotraffickers under a programme announced by Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin. Among those informed is Mohamed Amra, whose May 2024 jailbreak led to the deaths of two prison officers and serious injuries to three others during a convoy ambush. Amra, already held in isolation, reportedly waived his right to contest the transfer, while some other prisoners plan to challenge the decision on grounds that the new wing’s constant-isolation regime is punitive rather than rehabilitative. The first transfers are expected within days, marking France’s latest effort to tighten security around high-risk organised-crime figures.