arrest of six members of the chechen community

Police have made six arrests within the chechen community on Thursday 18 June in several cities of France. They are the result of several days of violence in the metropolis of Dijon, in particular in the area of Grésilles.

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The police conducted on Thursday 18 June with the arrest of six members of the chechen community in Dijon and other French cities, a-t-on learned from several sources.

“Five guards have started and searches have been carried out in several cities.” this morning (Thursday) confirmed in a first press release of the prosecutor of the Republic of Dijon Eric Mathais. Before adding an hour later that“custody extra is since occurred”, without giving more details on the places where took place the actions of the police.

According to a source close to the investigation, they would have taken place in Côte-d’or Dijonin the Jura Dolein the Dawn Troyesin the Loire Saint-Étienne and in the Bas-Rhin to Strasbourg and Saverne.

“They are intended to verify the first elements of the investigation”open including for attempted murder, organized group, criminal association and participation in a group armed, according to the prosecutor. These operations are a result of violence that took place recently in the prefecture of Côte-d’or.

The arrested individuals are suspected of having participated in the punitive expeditions carried out during the last weekend in Dijon, but their exact role in this folder, which remains to be specified. These arrests, carried out by the RAID and the BRI, following the opening of an investigation entrusted to the departmental safety and the judicial police of Dijon after four nights of violence, from Friday to Monday night in Dijon, that occurred around a series of punitive expeditions of the Chechens wishing to avenge the assault of one of their own.

This survey is intended to understand how the various offences were able to be provoked or organized, to identify the perpetrators and to give the appropriate follow-up.

Eric Mathais, the chief prosecutor of the Republic of Dijon

Four arrests Monday in the other camp

Four other people were arrested Monday evening, after unrest in the suburb of Grésilles in response to the operations of the Chechens. Wednesday, three of them have been released, according to the public prosecutor.

It is a question first of all of the occupants of a vehicle who refused to submit to a police check street of Krakow, close to the city. “It is established that [le conducteur] was not previously in the area of Grésilles and that he had come rather close to the place of events in order to get the two passengers”according to the statement of the prosecutor, dated 17 June. “The bearer of a baton, he had got frightened at the controls given the context and had at first attempted to escape”.

The passengers came from the district of Grésilles but deny having taken part in the violence. “No objective element in spite of the numerous investigations” not allowed “to establish their participation in a criminal offence”always according to the public prosecutor. They have, therefore, been released. The driver, 32-year-old has been sentenced to 90 days-fines to five euros, and a prohibition to hold or carry a weapon for five years.

The fourth person arrested after Monday night is a minor 16 years of age, arrested “a few hundred metres from the office of the Grésilles” that “had been subject to deterioration by many armed individuals, including pebbles”, according to the press release of the prosecutor. This young man has challenged “his participation in this violent thug”. And here, too, the “numerous investigations” made during his time in custody did not establish his participation. Therefore, it has been released.

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