The French Revolution 2026 Edition: Lightning Trials for Detainees in Under an Hour

In France, following massive riots, more than 2,500 people have been arrested. Courts are conducting lightning trials that last less than an hour. The Minister of Justice ordered prosecutors to demand heavy sentences, but the first verdicts—suspended prison sentences of six to eight months—paint a more complex picture.

In France, following massive riots, more than 2,500 people have been arrested, about 550 of them in Paris alone. Due to the unprecedented number of detainees, the court doubled the number of courtrooms allocated for fast-track trials—a procedure usually reserved for minor offenses. The Minister of Justice, Darmanin, ordered prosecutors to demand heavy sentences, but the first verdicts tell a different story: out of 14 cases tried in one day, ten involved young people, most from working-class suburbs on the outskirts of Paris. The trials lasted less than an hour each. At the end of the day's hearings, the court found all defendants guilty but imposed only suspended prison sentences ranging from six to eight months. Defense attorneys accused the government of politicizing the justice system, noting that the protest wave began with demands for better school conditions, not an attempted coup. The government blamed far-left agitators and opportunistic criminals. The article notes that 95% of detainees are men and 70% are adults, including citizens from immigrant backgrounds, foreign residents, and fully integrated French citizens.