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Europe

The Latest: 4 being held in thwarted plot to attack France

Associated Press
Published | Updated
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    French President Francois Hollande delivers a speech after the weekly cabinet meeting, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 in Paris. Hollande has decided to abandon a bill that would have revoked citizenship for convicted terrorists and strengthened the country’s state of emergency. He had initially submitted the two proposals days after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead. (Stephane de Sakutin, Pool via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    Image 2 of 3

    French President Francois Hollande delivers a speech after the weekly cabinet meeting, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 in Paris. Hollande has decided to abandon a bill that would have revoked citizenship for convicted terrorists and strengthened the country’s state of emergency. He had initially submitted the two proposals days after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead. (Stephane de Sakutin, Pool via AP) (The Associated Press)

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    Image 3 of 3

    French President Francois Hollande arrives to deliver a speech after the weekly cabinet meeting, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 in Paris. Hollande has decided to abandon a bill that would have revoked citizenship for convicted terrorists and strengthened the country’s state of emergency. He had initially submitted the two proposals days after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead. (Stephane de Sakutin, Pool via AP) (The Associated Press)

PARIS – The Latest on the deadly attacks in Belgium and France. (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

European authorities say they are holding at least four people in three countries with suspected links to a thwarted plot to attack France.

Frenchman Reda Kriket, detained in the Paris region last week on suspicion of being in the "advanced stages" of a plot, is being questioned by a magistrate Wednesday who is expected to file preliminary terrorism charges. Authorities found a large quantity of explosives and weapons in Kriket's apartment.

Two Algerians believed linked to Kriket's alleged plot are being held in Brussels. The Belgian federal prosecutors' office said Wednesday that the men, identified as Abderrahmane A. and Rabah M., will face a hearing on April 7.

Another Frenchman detained in the Kriket case is being held in the Dutch city of Rotterdam, but is resisting extradition to France. He has not been publicly identified.

Kriket was convicted in absentia last year on terrorism charges with the suspected ringleader of the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris.

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12:35 p.m.

French President Francois Hollande has decided to abandon a bill that would have revoked citizenship for convicted terrorists and strengthened the country's state of emergency.

He had initially submitted the two proposals days after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that left 130 people dead.

The proposal to revoke the citizenship of convicted terrorists who had dual nationalities had prompted a heated political dispute in France, with the far right applauding the move while some on the left expressed indignation at what they called a divisive measure.

Opponents of the measure say it would create two classes of citizens — dual nationals who could lose their French citizenship and French citizens who cannot — in opposition to the principle of equality set out in France's constitution.