On 22 June 1995 French police and gendarmerie units executed coordinated searches and interventions at multiple sites across France identified as communes or compounds linked to groups suspected of operating as sects. The raids were part of a broader government effort in the 1990s to investigate and, where warranted, dismantle organizations accused of illegal practices including fraud, psychological coercion, illegal confinement and mistreatment of members. Background: Throughout the 1980s and early 1990s the French state and media intensified attention on so-called sectes (sects or cults). High-profile incidents involving fringe movements, and pressure from victims’ families, led to legislative and administrative responses. In 1995 the government continued investigations initiated by judicial authorities and parliamentary inquiries that sought to identify groups engaging in criminal behavior under the guise of religious, therapeutic or communal living arrangements. The raids: On the known date, specialized police units targeted several properties described in court files and intelligence briefs as centers where suspected illegal activity occurred. Operations typically involved search warrants issued by investigating magistrates, with police searching premises for evidence such as documents, financial records, medication, and items indicative of restrictions on members’ freedoms. Some searches included communes located in rural settings where large numbers of adherents lived communally. Legal and procedural context: France’s approach distinguished between freedom of religion, which is protected, and criminal acts committed in the name of a belief system. Investigations relied on existing criminal law—prosecutors pursued charges where there was evidence of fraud, assault, deprivation of liberty, or child welfare violations. Searches and any detentions required legal authorization; subsequent prosecutions depended on the strength of evidence gathered during such operations. Public reaction and media coverage: The raids were covered widely in national and regional press, reflecting heightened public concern about exploitative groups. Victims’ associations and families who had campaigned for action welcomed the interventions as overdue steps toward accountability. At the same time, civil liberties groups and some legal experts cautioned about risks of overreach, warning that distinguishing illicit conduct from lawful religious practice required careful, case-by-case judicial assessment. Aftermath and significance: The immediate outcomes of the 22 June operations varied by site—some searches produced material that led to prosecutions or administrative measures, while others resulted in no charges where evidence was lacking. The raids fed into an ongoing national debate about how best to protect citizens from coercive practices while safeguarding religious freedom. In the wider policy context, the 1990s in France saw continued legislative and administrative activity, including the work of parliamentary commissions and watchdog lists compiled by public authorities to monitor groups deemed potentially dangerous. Historical note: Reporting and official documents from the period reflect contested terminology and differing assessments of the groups targeted. Contemporary coverage used terms such as secte, cult or new religious movement; scholars and rights groups have since emphasized careful, evidence-based distinctions. Where details about specific groups, numbers of searches or individual legal outcomes are not cited here, that reflects variability in public records and the need to rely on judicial documentation for case-level facts. This summary synthesizes commonly reported features of the 22 June 1995 interventions while avoiding attribution of unverified specifics to particular individuals or groups.