On Monday, a 21-year old prisoner filed a complaint for willful violence against Rennes-Vezin penitentiary guards. His lawyers stated that the complaint was based on video surveillance images.
According to documents seen by AFP, Abdallah M.'s complaints were revealed Monday by Le Parisien. They came after a prison's disciplinary committee had made a decision on November 30.
Abdallah M. was remanded in an attempted murder case. He was charged by guards with spitting at them and threatening their lives. The facts were denied by the detainee and the disciplinary committee cleared him of any charges of violence against staff members or physical violence.
The commission's November 30 decision stated that "the use of video surveillance of the hall [de la maison d’interieur, NDLR] is in accord with the detainee’s statements, namely, that he had an internal identity card and was repeatedly pushed and pushed by guard, while the detainee displayed no signs of aggression."
However, the commission sentenced him to two days in a discipline cell for "insults and threats or outrageous comments" directed at prison staff.
Me Amina Saadaoui, Me Amina Saadaoui wrote to the prison director asking him to preserve "all videos useful in the manifestation of truth". The lawyer assured Me Amina Saadaoui that "this video is edifying". However, he does not know if it has been properly preserved.
According to AFP, Me Saadaoui also filed a December complaint with Rennes' public prosecutor for "willful violence" as well as "false publicly writing" on behalf his client. His colleague Me Gwendoline Renier says, "Since then we have had no returns."
"There is never an investigation when it comes to questioning prison administration. Nothing is done. "Accused Mr. Saadaoui" said that there is no classification without follow up. The Rennes prosecutor's Office did not immediately respond to Monday morning's question. However, the prison administration indicated that disciplinary proceedings were being initiated against the guard who was accused of violence.
The general controller of prisons of deprivation or liberty had already reported in 2019 that Rennes prison was experiencing a "worrying level of violence".
