Authorities in France have ordered for the destruction of CCTV footage that captured the Nice attack that killed 84 people on 14 July, 2016.

According to a French article, this is the first time French authorities have been asked to destroy such crucial evidence in an ongoing investigation.

The excuse they give for this odd move is that they don’t want anybody to leak any of the videos online because “ISIS” might get a hold of them and use them for propaganda videos.

Lefigaro.fr (via Google Translate) reports:

An urgent legal requisition was sent to urban supervision center of Nice Wednesday, July 20. The Paris evokes a desire to “avoid the uncontrolled dissemination of these images.”

Panic and misunderstanding for mayor of Nice. Wednesday at 11 am, the Anti-Terrorism Sub-Directorate (SDAT) sent to agents who manage video surveillance of the city requisition citing Articles 53 and L706-24 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Article R642-1 of the Penal Code erasure asking them “complete” 24 hours of images from six cameras named, numbered, but also of all the scenes from the beginning of the attack that took place on the promenade des Anglais, on the night of July 14 .

What to stunning state agents of urban supervision center of Nice. “This is the first time we are asked to destroy evidence, says a source close to the dossier. The center of CCTV and the city of Nice could be prosecuted for this and also the officers in charge of the device does not have jurisdiction to engage in such operations. ”

The demand is all the more astonishing that the SDAT sent since last Friday servers to recover the 30,000 hours of CCTV related events. A backup operation that will extend even several days. “We do not know if giving a destruction order while we are in full backup is not going to curtain the whole system,” is are we concerned in the case entourage.

“This was done in this case to prevent the uncontrolled spread uncontrolled and these images.”

Contacted by Le Figaro, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed the information and said: “this was done in this case to prevent the uncontrolled and uncontrolled dissemination of these images.” Regarding the national police, it is recalled that “the thousand cameras in Nice, 140 had interesting elements of the investigation. The police recovered 100% of videos of them. PJ and prosecutors have asked to delete pictures of these 140 cameras to prevent malicious use of the latter for the sake of the dignity of the victims and to prevent the resumption of these images by jihadist websites at propaganda purposes. ” Finally, at the chancery, it is specified that the application of an erasure “complete” is explained by the inability to make partial destruction of such equipment.

Images shared by several services

The day after the tragic drama of the Promenade des Anglais, the police officers had come to make a first review of the cameras in direct contact with the event. This led to a first report sent to the Interior Ministry. Strangely, it would be these same cameras that are affected by the requisition of SDAT.

By Saturday, the Elysee had requested copies of pictures of the attack. An authorization granted by the Paris prosecutor. “It is not shocking that the president had wanted to see the attack. Will he ask the Elysee return the CD that has come to him? “Asked one expert dossier. In any event, these videos are shared by multiple services concurrently namely those of the police and the national gendarmerie, the police and firefighters.