The Council of State, France’s highest administrative court, has rejected an appeal by Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of Justice, concerning detention conditions at the Condé-sur-Sarthe prison. This decision comes after an administrative court in Caen ordered the Minister to stop "behaviors contrary to the code of ethics" by prison staff "as soon as possible." The court had previously ruled on July 18 that such unethical behaviors needed to be addressed immediately. On September 3, the Council of State upheld this decision, rejecting Darmanin's request to overturn the ruling. The controversy centers on the Organized Crime Combat Quarter (QLCO) at Condé-sur-Sarthe, a facility inaugurated in 2025 designed to house particularly dangerous detainees, including drug traffickers. A referee judge had highlighted several concerns during a visit to the facility in May, including "insulting, racist, and supremacist remarks," acts of violence, humiliations, and degrading practices such as "humiliating or brutal" naked searches and "asphyxiating practices." These findings were made by the General Inspector of places of deprivation of liberty, an official responsible for monitoring prison conditions. In his appeal, Darmanin argued that the allegations against prison staff were not supported by objective evidence and that the referee judge had overlooked measures already taken to address the situation. However, the Council of State did not comment on the validity of the allegations themselves. Instead, it emphasized that the referee judge had correctly ordered the penitentiary administration to prevent unethical behavior from occurring. The Ministry of Justice stated that it "takes note of the decision" and emphasized that "administrative courts have not found any breaches within the QLCO." Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the detainees expressed "relief" at the rejection of Darmanin's appeal, suggesting that the decision may provide some reassurance regarding the conditions at the facility.