Paris Court Keeps Louvre Heist Suspect Rachid H. in Custody
A Paris appeals court denied a request for release by Rachid H., a suspected member of the group that stole jewels from the Louvre.
The Paris Court of Appeal rejected a bid for provisional release by Rachid H., a 40-year-old detained in connection with the Louvre jewel theft. H. had been in custody since his arrest in late 2025 and sought freedom from the judges conducting the inquiry, later taking his case to the chamber of instruction, where the hearing was held in private. The robbery, carried out with a moving-truck and cutting tools, led to the arrest of two initial suspects who later asserted that the other alleged participants, including H., were uninvolved and that the true organizer remained at large.
Prosecutors suspect H. of providing the keys to a parking facility in Aubervilliers, from which the stolen items vanished. H. denies knowledge, saying he was asked by two known individuals to park a scooter and hand over the keys. His lawyer, Fabien Arakelian, declined to comment.
Why it matters
The decision keeps a key figure in a high-profile art theft behind bars, affecting the ongoing investigation.
In this story
