The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) plans to release 35 prisoners convicted of Islamist terrorism in 2026, its head, Olivier Christen, announced. Since 2021, 339 prisoners of this profile have been released, according to PNAT data.
In 2025, 46 prisoners were released, including Brahim Bahrir, convicted in Belgium for terrorism, who had threatened police officers with a knife at the Arc de Triomphe before being fatally shot. He had been released on December 24 and was subject to judicial supervision, including mandatory participation in a deradicalization program, as well as administrative monitoring.
Liberated profiles are increasingly considered risky.
According to the PNAT, the proportion of people released who had been convicted for violent acts or planned attacks is increasing significantly: 21% in 2021, nearly 33% in 2025, and an estimated proportion of 52% in 2026. The anti-terrorism prosecutor's office thus highlights a shift towards profiles considered more dangerous.
Of the 339 releases recorded since 2021, 57 have led to re-incarceration. These returns to detention are mainly linked to violations of judicial supervision or administrative measures, but also to common law offenses, acts related to terrorism (apology, incitement) and, in a minority of cases, to plans for violent actions or attacks.
