Three Al Jazeera Journalists Arrested for Flying Drone Over Paris

News agencies reported on Wednesday evening, March 6, that three Al Jazeera journalists in France were arrested for flying a drone over the city of Paris. The arrests occurred after French police announced that unidentified drones had flown over Paris for the second consecutive night. The Associated Press reported that three foreign nationals, aged 70, 54, and 36, who work for Al Jazeera in Doha, Qatar, were transferred to a detention center on Wednesday evening. A spokesperson for the Paris prosecutor's office stated that the arrests happened after police intercepted a drone flying over the Boulogne Forest in western Paris. Agnes Thibault-Lecoq stated that it is still unclear what the intentions of the three individuals were. The report adds that Al Jazeera officials have declined to comment on the matter. According to French law, Al Jazeera journalists can be held for a maximum of 24 hours. Flying a drone without a license is prohibited in France, punishable by up to one year in prison and a fine of €75,000. The arrest of the Al Jazeera journalists comes amid an investigation by French police into the flights of unidentified drones that occurred on Monday and Tuesday nights. One police official told AFP that eyewitnesses and security personnel reported five sightings of drones on Monday and Tuesday nights, which may involve one or more different drones. This official added that these small aircraft were seen near the U.S. Embassy, the War Museum, the Eiffel Tower, and several other locations in the French capital. French police have launched investigations into five separate reports of drone flights from the previous night and those who operate them. One of the Paris police chiefs said, 'Is this a game? Or reconnaissance and preparation for future operations? Investigations will show us.'