France's highest appeal court has thrown a bid by a prominent jailed French Polynesian businessman to be freed because of the poor conditions in prison.
Photo: Unsplash / Bill Oxford
Thierry Barbion is serving a four-year sentence for his role in a racket involving child prostitution and drug trafficking.
He wanted to be released pending a ruling in the appeal court in Paris, but according to Tahiti-infos the Paris court turned down his request.
Last year, Barbion was allowed out of jail within days of being convicted in the criminal court, but returned to prison after failing with his appeal in Tahiti.
Barbion's lawyer was quoted as saying it was surreal to seek to jail a man for four years for prostitution with a minor.
The central figure in the affair, Sabine Boiron, had been sentenced to seven years in prison and has been serving her time since last year.