French authorities have arrested 11 suspects connected to the fatal assault of a far-right activist last week, amid simmering political tensions as an important election approaches.
Foreign news agencies report that French officials detained two additional suspects on Wednesday, 18 Feb 2026 GMT+7, during the investigation into the killing of a young far-right activist student, believed to have been carried out by an armed far-left group in Lyon, bringing the total number of detainees to 11.
Quentin Derong, 23, died from severe brain injuries after being beaten and kicked during a protest last week, which took place outside an event featuring Rima Hassan, a Member of the European Parliament from the left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI).
Video footage from the scene shows three people lying on the ground being attacked by a larger group wearing hooded garments that concealed their faces.
The feminist anti-immigration group Némésis stated that Derong was outside the venue protecting their members, accusing the Young Guard group of orchestrating the attack. However, the Young Guard has denied these allegations.
The latest wave of arrests began last Wednesday, including Jacques-Elie Favrot, who is an assistant to Raphaël Arnault, an LFI party member of parliament.
Arnault said that Favrot has ceased all parliamentary work and is currently undergoing contract termination procedures.
Despite Jean-Luc Mélenchon's efforts to distance his left-wing party from the brutal death of Derong, the LFI party continues to face heavy criticism from all political opponents, with less than a month remaining before France's crucial local elections.
The political climate in France is already tense, as these local elections are seen as a final public referendum ahead of next year's presidential election. Over the past month, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's minority government has survived two no-confidence votes to pass this year's budget.
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Source:bbc