According to the Justice Minister of France, Eric Dupond-Moretti, over 700 people have been handed prison sentences in relation to the riots that took place in the country at the end of last month.

He commended the “firm” response of the magistrates, with a total of 1,278 verdicts being reached, resulting in over 95 percent of defendants being convicted for various charges including vandalism and attacking police officers.

Out of the convicted individuals, 600 have already been incarcerated. Dupond-Moretti emphasized the importance of a resolute and systematic response to restore national order.

The riots initially erupted after a 17-year-old boy of North African descent was fatally shot by a police officer during a traffic stop near Paris.

The violence was eventually contained after four nights of intense clashes, thanks to the deployment of approximately 45,000 security forces, including specialized police units and armored vehicles.

To act as a deterrent, Dupond-Moretti had advocated for courts to impose severe sentences, even keeping some open during the clashes to handle the influx of cases.

However, concerns have been raised by defense lawyers regarding the fairness of the judicial process and the extensive use of custodial sentences.

The average age of the more than 3,700 individuals arrested was just 17, and minors were heard in separate children’s courts.

Notably, the number of individuals sentenced to prison surpasses the figures from the major riots in 2005, during which around 400 people were incarcerated.