Journalist to face court for illegally flying drone in Paris

An Al-Jazeera journalist will face court for illegally flying a drone in Paris, amid a spate of drone flyovers that have confounded French authorities amid heightened security concerns.

An Al-Jazeera journalist will face court for illegally flying a drone in Paris, amid a spate of drone flyovers that have confounded French authorities amid heightened security concerns.

The Paris prosecutor's office says three journalists for Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera were released on Thursday, a day after they were detained. Al-Jazeera said the reporters for the network's English channel were filming a report on the mystery drones.

Prosecutor's office spokeswoman Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre says the journalist who is accused of operating the drone is to face court next week.

Flying drones without a license in France is illegal and carries a maximum one-year prison sentence and a 75,000 euros ($85,000) fine.

Drones were spotted over the Eiffel Tower and key Paris landmarks this week, the latest of several seen around France recently.