Paris attacks: French parliament votes to extend state of emergency

French MPs have voted to extend the national state of emergency for three months, international media report.

The decision comes as president François Hollande prepares a major tightening of security laws in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris that killed 129 people.

The lower house of parliament voted by 551 votes to six to boost and extend the emergency powers. until the end of February and to increase certain powers including immediately placing people under house arrest if they are considered a risk, the Guardian reports.

The senate is expected to vote on the measures this Friday and the government then intends to hold a special vote of congress within three months to strengthen emergency powers in the constitution.

Hollande has said he wants to introduce measures including stripping French dual nationals convicted of terrorism of citizenship and creating specialist “de-radicalisation centres” for youths.

The Guardian reports that the current state of emergency gives more powers to the security services and police to act without judicial oversight, and it adds that the new emergency measures include expanded powers to immediately place under house-arrest any person if there are “serious reasons to think their behaviour is a threat to security or public order”.

The new measures would also give authorities more power to disband groups or associations that participate in, facilitate or incite acts that are a threat to public order, with members of these groups possibly being placed under house arrest.

According to the interior ministry, the state of emergency measures already in place have led to 63 arrests, 413 searches, the seizure of 72 weapons and 118 people placed under house arrest since Friday.