French prosecutors are investigating if the recent stabbing of two prison guards by an inmate was an act of terror, a spokeswoman for prosecutors said Tuesday, heightening scrutiny of France’s recent efforts to segregate prisoners deemed radical, reports The Wall Street Journal.
A 24-year-old man investigators identified as Bilal T. assaulted two prison guards with a makeshift knife on Sunday, severely wounding one of them, according to authorities.
Prosecutors are investigating Bilal T. on suspicion he may have planned the attack as a terrorist assault with the help of others inside and outside of the prison, the prosecutors’ spokeswoman said.
“We are investigating whether there are links between him and other Islamist groups,” the spokeswoman said.
Antiterror prosecutors can question Bilal T. for up to 96 hours before filing preliminary charges against him, she added. After questioning, he will be sent back to the prison in the northwestern suburb of Osny, where he was already serving a five-year sentence after being convicted of terrorism earlier this year.
The assault casts a spotlight on France’s nascent efforts to stop the spread of radicalism within prison walls by separating radicalized prisoners from other inmates they might influence.