Relatives of Salah Abdeslam, who is serving a life sentence for his role in the Islamist attacks of November 13, 2015, were arrested on Saturday in France following a decision by an investigating judge on combating terrorism, judicial sources reported today, quoted by Agence France-Presse.
A representative of the prison guards' union told AFP that members of Abdeslam's family were detained two days ago in the parking lot of the high-security prison in Vendee-le-Vieille (northern France) before entering for a visit. Two people have been arrested, including Abdeslam's mother, he said.
The judicial authorities declined to comment, noting that an investigation is ongoing.
Salah Abdeslam is the only surviving member of the group responsible for the November 13 attacks in Paris and its suburbs. He has been held in solitary confinement for nearly a decade.
The November 13, 2015 attacks were the worst in French history, killing 132 people.
In November 2025, he was questioned as part of an investigation into his possession of a USB flash drive containing, according to the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT), documents related to the "official propaganda of terrorist organizations - the Islamic State" and Al Qaeda.
The prosecution requested a subsequent indictment.
The flash drive was given to him during a visit by his former partner, Maeva B., who is also charged with two counts and has been arrested. She is also suspected of participating in a foiled attack plot unrelated to Abdeslam.
Following this incident, the director of the Venden-le-Vieille prison introduced a visitation regime with protective glass, after assessing that the device could not be ruled out by visitors.
In early April, the court ordered a partial relaxation of his visitation regime, but refused to end his isolation.