Limoges town hall arson suspect: S-file, radical past, ETA ties

A 34-year-old man, Hodei C. D., was arrested by the Raid unit in Bussière-Boffy as the principal suspect in the arson attack that destroyed the Limoges town hall. He is being held on charges including organized destruction of property and death threats against public officials. The suspect, a carpenter from Creuse, is on the S-file for his active membership in the radical environmental collective Les Soulèvements de la terre. He was previously investigated for fires targeting Enedis vehicles and a relay antenna, and his father, a former ETA member, was convicted in that case. Described by a former mayor as "disruptive and dangerous," Hodei C. D. was convicted on appeal for assaulting a police officer during a 2024 protest. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office is monitoring the case, with investigators also examining potential links to squatter groups.