Attacks on migrants, racial profiling or even police violence: France saw itself this Monday, May 1, targeted by criticism at the UN which was examining the human rights situation in France.
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The UN Human Rights Council spent more than three hours on the human rights situation in France, a procedure to which all member states of the United Nations regularly submit. A large number of countries, including the United States but also Tunisia, have called on France to increase its efforts to combat violence and racial discrimination.
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“We recommend that France intensify its efforts to combat crimes and threats of violence motivated by religious hatred such as anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hatred”said U.S. Representative Kelly Billingsley. “There is an increase in racism and xenophobia”accused the Chinese representative, who called on France to stop taking “measures that violate the rights of migrants”.
“Rethinking its policing policy”
Brazil, as well as Japan, criticized “racial profiling by security forces” and South Africa called on the French authorities “to take steps to ensure impartial investigations by bodies outside the police in all cases of racist incidents involving police officers”.
Police violence during law enforcement operations was also highlighted by several delegations such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark, for example. That of Liechtenstein called for an independent investigation into these excesses, Luxembourg asked that France “rethinks its policing policy” while Malaysia claimed that ” those responsible be punished”.
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Russia, Venezuela and Iran, three countries whose serious human rights violations are regularly condemned by the UN and human rights organizations, have also chosen to criticize police violence in particular. “We are concerned about the harsh and sometimes violent measures aimed at dispersing peaceful citizens”said the Russian representative, Kristina Sukacheva.
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In France itself, criticism has multiplied against the use of force deemed excessive in recent months against demonstrators opposed to pension reform. During the response session of the French delegation, Sabrine Balim, legal adviser to the Ministry of the Interior, argued that “the use of force is strictly supervised, controlled and in case of fault sanctioned”.
In addition, she recalled that the police had an obligation to wear an individual identification number “in order to ensure visibility and traceability of their actions”. An obligation not always respected and the French Minister of the Interior, Gérard Darmanin asked that it be worn ” in all circumstances “.
