French activist Ritchy Thibault begins hunger strike in prison

Ritchy Thibault, a 22-year-old activist and former parliamentary assistant to LFI deputy Ersilia Soudais, has launched a hunger strike while in pretrial detention at Fleury-Mérogis prison. Thibault is protesting disciplinary isolation, which he describes as a violent regime where he is held in a small space with minimal natural light and restricted access to reading, writing, or mail.

Thibault, a co-founder of the Peuple Révolté collective and spokesperson for the PEPS movement, was arrested on October 1 following protests in Saint-Denis. He faces legal proceedings for provocative statements, including calls to ‘burn the Élysée’ and ‘make a revolution.’ He was previously handed a four-month suspended sentence for death threats against President Emmanuel Macron.

The prison administration identifies Thibault as the instigator of a collective action by inmates regarding detention conditions. He is scheduled to appear before a disciplinary commission on October 19.