Prisoner who escaped from France arrested in Switzerland
Published: Wednesday, Jan 3rd 2024, 21:40
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A 17-year-old prisoner from France was arrested in Switzerland on Wednesday after one and a half weeks on the run. This was announced by the French public prosecutor's office in Annecy.
The man escaped from custody on Christmas Eve at the Bonneville detention center in the French department of Haute Savoie, around 27 kilometers southeast of Geneva.
The fugitive "was tracked down, arrested and detained in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. He was also wanted there for thefts he had committed before and during his escape," prosecutor Line Bonnet told the AFP news agency. She confirmed a report by France Bleu Haute-Savoie.
"He will first be sentenced in Switzerland for the crimes committed there," Bonnet continued. Subsequently, "his extradition to France" will be requested.
The minor, who had been remanded in custody on December 18 for an armed robbery, had escaped during a medical transfer on December 24. According to the prosecutor, he had used the open sliding door of the prison vehicle when the driver wanted to settle in and fled on foot. He was handcuffed to the belt.
On December 29, a European arrest warrant was issued for the man on the run. According to a source familiar with the investigation, he was considered "quite dangerous". The public prosecutor's office had pointed out during his escape that he was unarmed and had no accomplices.
©Keystone/SDA
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