Carlos Applies for Release from Prison on Medical Grounds

Paris – 29 July 2026: The lawyer for Venezuelan terrorist Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, known as Carlos, has applied for his release from prison on medical grounds. According to Franceinfo and ICI Isère, the Grenoble-based defense attorney wrote to the presiding judge of the sentence enforcement court in Paris responsible for terrorism cases. He asked for a hearing to be scheduled promptly.

The letter does not yet entail any decision on release. First, the court must determine under which procedure the application is to be handled and which medical documents are relevant. No details were initially published regarding a specific diagnosis, the requested form of release from custody, or a possible date.

Carlos, who was born in Venezuela in 1949, is serving several life sentences in France. He was one of the best-known figures in international terrorism during the 1970s and 1980s. His first life sentence was handed down in 1997 for the killing of three men, including two French police officers, in Paris in 1975. Further convictions concerned a series of deadly attacks in France in 1982 and 1983, as well as the attack on the Drugstore Publicis store in Paris in 1974.

In France, the Paris sentence enforcement court has central jurisdiction over decisions concerning the enforcement of sentences for terrorist acts. In cases involving life sentences, it examines applications for parole or suspension of imprisonment under strict legal requirements. Factors considered include the time already served, any continuing dangerousness, living conditions following release, and public safety. Additional safeguards apply to those convicted of terrorism.

Medical grounds can trigger a separate review of continued imprisonment. In principle, a suspension may be considered if a prisoner’s condition is permanently incompatible with detention or if adequate medical care cannot be ensured in custody. The judicial decision is based on medical expert reports; the prisoner’s age alone is not sufficient.

Even release on health grounds would not necessarily be unconditional. The court could attach conditions, supervision by sentence enforcement authorities, and further protective measures. In addition, the public prosecutor’s office and other competent bodies may submit observations during the proceedings.

For the time being, the court has only received the application to schedule a hearing. Only in such proceedings could Ramírez Sánchez’s medical situation, his detention conditions, and the legal requirements for release be examined comprehensively.