Latest news with #EuropeanConventiononHumanRights
LeMonde
3 days ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Europe's top court condemns France over police racial profiling
Europe's top rights court on Thursday, June 26, condemned France over its police discriminating against a young man during identity checks, in the first such ruling against the country over alleged racial profiling. Rights groups have accused French authorities of abusive checks based on race, and several prominent police brutality cases have involved young men perceived as Black or North African. The European Court of Human Rights found no discrimination in the case of five other French plaintiffs. But it said the government had provided no "objective and reasonable justification" for police stopping Karim Touil three times in 10 days in the eastern city of Besancon in 2011. The court said it was "very aware of the difficulties for police officers to decide, very quickly and without necessarily having clear internal instructions, whether they are facing a threat to public order or security." But in the case of Touil, born in 1991, it presumed "discriminatory treatment" that the French government was not able to refute. However, the court added that the legal and administrative framework for identity checks in France did not reveal any "structural failure." It ordered the French state to pay Touil €3,000 ($3,500) for breaching the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of discrimination and respect for private life. Slim Ben Achour, lawyer of the six plaintiffs, called the ruling a "victory." "The French state must take responsibility and change the way it carries out identity checks," he said. 'Widespread' profiling France's rights ombudswoman reported Tuesday that identity checks had increased from 2016 to 2024, including for people who were older or seen as white. But, a report from her office added that young men "perceived as Arab, Black or from North Africa" were four times more likely to be stopped than the rest of the population. They were 12 times more likely to be subjected to more severe measures including being frisked during checks, it said after a survey of more than 5,000 people. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International last year said racial profiling was "widespread throughout the country and deeply rooted in police practices." HRW said young men and boys perceived as Black or Arab, some as young as 10, were often subjected to "abusive and illegal identity checks." The ECHR is Europe's top human rights court and serves as a court of last resort in cases where all domestic avenues are exhausted. The plaintiffs in Thursday's ruling were part of a group of 13 men from different parts of France who had gone to court more than a decade ago in their home country. They accused police of unjustified stop-and-searches, sometimes including being patted down, talked to disrespectfully or insulted. A lower court threw out their case in 2013, but the Paris appeals court in 2015 ruled in favor of five of them. France's highest court, in a historic first, condemned the state in three cases. Six others then lodged a case with the ECHR, leading to Thursday's ruling. Lanna Hollo, a legal expert and co-founder of anti-discrimination group (RE)Claim, welcomed the European court ruling. But she said (RE)Claim worried that the ECHR had applied the right to non-discrimination unevenly, "failing to protect all people in all [French] territory." Police violence cases Several police brutality cases have made headlines in France in recent years. A French court earlier this month said a policeman would be going on trial next year over the 2023 killing of a teenager at point-blank range in a Paris suburb, which sparked days of protests against police brutality and riots. The police initially said Nahel Merzouk, 17, had driven his car at the officer and his life was in danger. But a video showed two officers standing next to a stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at its driver. In another rare case of police brutality making it to court, a judge last year gave suspended jail sentences to three officers after a Black man suffered irreversible rectal injuries during a stop-and-search in 2017. The officer, who was found guilty of delivering the truncheon blow that injured Théo Luhaka, received a 12-month suspended prison sentence and was banned from working on the streets as a police officer for five years.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Europe rights court condemns France over police racial profiling
Europe's top rights court on Thursday condemned France over "discriminatory treatment" against a Frenchman who accused his country's police of racial profiling. The ruling comes after rights groups accused France of widespread racial profiling, and several prominent police brutality cases involving young men perceived as black or North African. The European Court of Human Rights found no discrimination in the case of five other French plaintiffs. But it said the government had provided no "objective and reasonable justification" for police stopping Karim Touil three times in 10 days in the eastern city of Besancon in 2011. The court said it was "very aware of the difficulties for police officers to decide, very quickly and without necessarily having clear internal instructions, whether they are facing a threat to public order or security". But in the case of Touil, born in 1991, it presumed "discriminatory treatment" that the French government was not able to refute. However, the court added that the legal and administrative framework for identity checks in France did not reveal any "structural failure". It ordered the French state to pay Touil 3,000 euros ($3,500) for breaching the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of discrimination and respect for private life. Slim Ben Achour, lawyer of the six plaintiffs, called the ruling a "victory". "The French state must take responsibility and change the way it carries out identity checks," he said. - 'Widespread' profiling - France's rights ombudswoman reported Tuesday that identity checks had increased from 2016 to 2024, including for people who were older or seen as white. But, a report from her office added, young men "perceived as Arab, black or from North Africa" were four times more likely to be stopped than the rest of the population. They were 12 times more likely during the police stops to be subjected to more severe measures including being frisked, it said after a survey of more than 5,000 people. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International last year said racial profiling was "widespread throughout the country and deeply rooted in police practices". HRW said young men and boys perceived as black or Arab, some as young as 10, were often subjected to "abusive and illegal identity checks". The ECHR is Europe's top human rights court and serves as a court of last resort in cases where all domestic avenues are exhausted. The plaintiffs in Thursday's ruling were part of a group of 13 men from different parts of France who had gone to court more than a decade ago in their home country. They accused police of unjustified stop-and-searches, sometimes including being patted down, talked to disrespectfully or insulted. A lower court threw out their case in 2013, but the Paris appeals court in 2015 found in the favour of five of them. France's highest court, in a historic first, condemned the state in three cases. Six others then lodged a case with the ECHR, leading to Thursday's ruling. - Police violence cases - Several police brutality cases have made headlines in France in recent years. A French court earlier this month said a policeman would be going on trial next year over the 2023 killing of a teenager at point-blank range in a Paris suburb, which sparked days of protests against police brutality and riots. The police initially said Nahel Merzouk, 17, had driven his car at the officer and his life was in danger. But a video showed two officers standing next to a stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at its driver. In another rare case of police brutality making it to court, a judge last year gave suspended jail sentences to three officers after a black man suffered irreversible rectal injuries during a stop-and-search in 2017. The officer who was found guilty of delivering the truncheon blow that injured Theo Luhaka received a 12-month suspended prison sentence and was banned from working on the streets as a police officer for five years. pau-ah/ekf/js
France 24
3 days ago
- Politics
- France 24
Europe rights court condemns France over police racial profiling
The ruling comes after rights groups accused France of widespread racial profiling, and several prominent police brutality cases involving young men perceived as black or North African. The European Court of Human Rights found no discrimination in the case of five other French plaintiffs. But it said the government had provided no "objective and reasonable justification" for police stopping Karim Touil three times in 10 days in the eastern city of Besancon in 2011. The court said it was "very aware of the difficulties for police officers to decide, very quickly and without necessarily having clear internal instructions, whether they are facing a threat to public order or security". But in the case of Touil, born in 1991, it presumed "discriminatory treatment" that the French government was not able to refute. However, the court added that the legal and administrative framework for identity checks in France did not reveal any "structural failure". It ordered the French state to pay Touil 3,000 euros ($3,500) for breaching the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of discrimination and respect for private life. Slim Ben Achour, lawyer of the six plaintiffs, called the ruling a "victory". "The French state must take responsibility and change the way it carries out identity checks," he said. 'Widespread' profiling France's rights ombudswoman reported Tuesday that identity checks had increased from 2016 to 2024, including for people who were older or seen as white. But, a report from her office added, young men "perceived as Arab, black or from North Africa" were four times more likely to be stopped than the rest of the population. They were 12 times more likely during the police stops to be subjected to more severe measures including being frisked, it said after a survey of more than 5,000 people. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International last year said racial profiling was "widespread throughout the country and deeply rooted in police practices". HRW said young men and boys perceived as black or Arab, some as young as 10, were often subjected to "abusive and illegal identity checks". The ECHR is Europe's top human rights court and serves as a court of last resort in cases where all domestic avenues are exhausted. The plaintiffs in Thursday's ruling were part of a group of 13 men from different parts of France who had gone to court more than a decade ago in their home country. They accused police of unjustified stop-and-searches, sometimes including being patted down, talked to disrespectfully or insulted. A lower court threw out their case in 2013, but the Paris appeals court in 2015 found in the favour of five of them. France's highest court, in a historic first, condemned the state in three cases. Six others then lodged a case with the ECHR, leading to Thursday's ruling. Police violence cases Several police brutality cases have made headlines in France in recent years. A French court earlier this month said a policeman would be going on trial next year over the 2023 killing of a teenager at point-blank range in a Paris suburb, which sparked days of protests against police brutality and riots. The police initially said Nahel Merzouk, 17, had driven his car at the officer and his life was in danger. But a video showed two officers standing next to a stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at its driver. In another rare case of police brutality making it to court, a judge last year gave suspended jail sentences to three officers after a black man suffered irreversible rectal injuries during a stop-and-search in 2017. The officer who was found guilty of delivering the truncheon blow that injured Theo Luhaka received a 12-month suspended prison sentence and was banned from working on the streets as a police officer for five years. © 2025 AFP
Int'l Business Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Europe Rights Court Condemns France Over Police Racial Profiling
Europe's top rights court on Thursday condemned France over "discriminatory treatment" against a Frenchman who accused his country's police of racial profiling. The ruling comes after rights groups accused France of widespread racial profiling, and several prominent police brutality cases involving young men perceived as black or North African. The European Court of Human Rights found no discrimination in the case of five other French plaintiffs. But it said the government had provided no "objective and reasonable justification" for police stopping Karim Touil three times in 10 days in the eastern city of Besancon in 2011. The court said it was "very aware of the difficulties for police officers to decide, very quickly and without necessarily having clear internal instructions, whether they are facing a threat to public order or security". But in the case of Touil, born in 1991, it presumed "discriminatory treatment" that the French government was not able to refute. However, the court added that the legal and administrative framework for identity checks in France did not reveal any "structural failure". It ordered the French state to pay Touil 3,000 euros ($3,500) for breaching the articles of the European Convention on Human Rights on the prohibition of discrimination and respect for private life. Slim Ben Achour, lawyer of the six plaintiffs, called the ruling a "victory". "The French state must take responsibility and change the way it carries out identity checks," he said. France's rights ombudswoman reported Tuesday that identity checks had increased from 2016 to 2024, including for people who were older or seen as white. But, a report from her office added, young men "perceived as Arab, black or from North Africa" were four times more likely to be stopped than the rest of the population. They were 12 times more likely during the police stops to be subjected to more severe measures including being frisked, it said after a survey of more than 5,000 people. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International last year said racial profiling was "widespread throughout the country and deeply rooted in police practices". HRW said young men and boys perceived as black or Arab, some as young as 10, were often subjected to "abusive and illegal identity checks". The ECHR is Europe's top human rights court and serves as a court of last resort in cases where all domestic avenues are exhausted. The plaintiffs in Thursday's ruling were part of a group of 13 men from different parts of France who had gone to court more than a decade ago in their home country. They accused police of unjustified stop-and-searches, sometimes including being patted down, talked to disrespectfully or insulted. A lower court threw out their case in 2013, but the Paris appeals court in 2015 found in the favour of five of them. France's highest court, in a historic first, condemned the state in three cases. Six others then lodged a case with the ECHR, leading to Thursday's ruling. Several police brutality cases have made headlines in France in recent years. A French court earlier this month said a policeman would be going on trial next year over the 2023 killing of a teenager at point-blank range in a Paris suburb, which sparked days of protests against police brutality and riots. The police initially said Nahel Merzouk, 17, had driven his car at the officer and his life was in danger. But a video showed two officers standing next to a stationary car, with one pointing a weapon at its driver. In another rare case of police brutality making it to court, a judge last year gave suspended jail sentences to three officers after a black man suffered irreversible rectal injuries during a stop-and-search in 2017. The officer who was found guilty of delivering the truncheon blow that injured Theo Luhaka received a 12-month suspended prison sentence and was banned from working on the streets as a police officer for five years. A French court last year handed three officers suspended sentences over a stod-and-search that left Theo Luhaka with rectal injuries AFP The 2023 killing of 17-year-old Nahel Merzouk at point-blank range in a Paris suburb sparked days of protests and riots AFP
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Grandmothers arrested at Palestine protest ‘robustly deny any criminal offence'
Sue Pentel and Martine McCullough were arrested earlier this year by police investigating an incident of criminal damage at a Barclays Bank in the city. Ms Pentel, 72, was detained by officers along with Martine McCullough, aged in her 50s, on May 24 while protesting outside the bank in Castle Place over an incident at a previous protest at the bank on April 26. The two attended Musgrave Street police station in Belfast city centre on Wednesday morning for the pre-arranged interview under caution. Fellow campaigners staged a protest in solidarity with the women outside the station, with applause and calls of 'we're with you' as they arrived. Solicitor Padraig O Muirigh, who represents the two women, said they 'robustly deny that they have committed any criminal offence'. 'Our clients have been involved in peaceful protests against the ongoing genocide in Gaza which has been ongoing now for 628 days,' he said. 'Today's interviews under caution follow their arrests on the 24th May 2025. 'My clients robustly deny that they have committed any criminal offence and maintain that they should not be subjected to criminal investigations for exercising their right to peaceful protest against the atrocities being committed in Gaza.' He added: 'Our clients will robustly contest their innocence and defend their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights to freedom of assembly and expression if a decision is made to prosecute them.' Jewish grandmother Ms Pentel is a high-profile campaigner against Israel's military offensive on Gaza. Videos circulated online of the arrest of Ms Pentel indicate the alleged offence related to the placing of stickers on the bank's ATM machine. Barclays has been a target for pro-Palestine protesters who claim the bank is linked to companies supplying weapons to Israel. Barclays has previously addressed the criticism, saying it provides financial services to nine defence companies supplying Israel but does not directly invest in such firms. The bank has said it has become the target of a disinformation campaign over its ties to defence companies. Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Ms Pentel said they are 'proud to peacefully protest outside Barclays'. 'We've been doing it for the last eight months,' she said. 'To protest the genocide, to protest the violence, to protest the way that Israel feels its OK to starve children, to stop humanitarian aid while the world looks on. 'Well, we won't look on, we won't remain silent.' She added: 'We understand that we've been asked to be interviewed under caution, and we're voluntarily going in about an incident on April 26 and all we can say is we're proud to demonstrate with our amazing colleagues every week outside Barclays. 'We have the right to peacefully protest, we want to thank our solicitor Padraig O Muirigh for his time and advice. 'We have the right to peacefully protest and we will continue to do it until the genocide stops. 'We're two grandmothers, when our grandchildren ask us what we did, we know what we'll say, we stood up, we spoke out, we weren't silent, and as a Jewish person I am absolutely ashamed of anybody either Israeli Jewish or London Jewish or wherever who doesn't stand up and who thinks this is OK.'
