European Court of Human Rights condemns France for racial profiling in landmark case

Ya Biladi

21 hours ago

On Thursday, June 26, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) condemned France for conducting an identity check that amounted to racial profiling against Karim Touil, a French citizen of North African descent. This ruling marks a first for what is often referred to as «the homeland of human rights». Touil had been stopped three times within ten days without any «objective and reasonable justification». The judges concluded there was «a presumption of discriminatory treatment» that the French state failed to rebut, according to AFP.
While the court acknowledged the challenges police officers may face in urgent situations, it stressed the importance of relying on objective criteria when conducting checks. As a result of the ruling, the State must pay Karim Touil €3,000 in moral damages for violating Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) in conjunction with Article 8 (right to respect for private life).
Five other plaintiffs, also of African descent, did not succeed in their cases. Their legal battle, which began more than a decade ago, denounced repeated identity checks in cities such as Marseille, Saint-Ouen, and Vaulx-en-Velin. After their claims were dismissed by French courts, they turned to the ECHR in 2017.
A new report by the Defender of Rights (DDD), published Tuesday, June 24, reveals that young men perceived as Arab, Black, or North African remain disproportionately targeted by such practices. In 2024, 26% of respondents said they had been stopped by the police or gendarmerie at least once in the past five years—up from 16% in 2016. Last year, they were also four times more likely to be stopped than the rest of the population, and twelve times more likely to be subjected to searches or frisks.