‘French police abuse blacks and Arabs’ - Gayo Lues

In a 55-page report published on Thursday, French section of HRW warned that unwarranted checks, humiliating pat-downs, and police insults, were damaging the image of the police in the country.

“French police are using overly broad powers to conduct unwarranted and abusive identity checks on black and Arab young men and boys,” the report said.

The report cited victims as young as 13 years old who were arbitrarily forced up against walls and manhandled by the police.

French Police however, has rejected the claims saying they only search people based on suspicious activity or information.

Furthermore, HRW alleges there are often no justifications for many searches and identity checks and that there is often verbal abuse and some physical abuse used during the police checks.

“Insulting languages, including racial slurs, are not uncommon, and some stops involve excessive use of force by the police,” the report added.

“These arbitrary stops can take place even in the absence of any indication of wrongdoing,” it noted.

Many observers say police tactics are damaging the already strained community relations, and may lead to social unrests similar to the widespread riots in French suburbs in 2005, which cost the country hundreds of millions of euros in damages.

PG/JR/IS

source: Presstv.ir – Europe News

Share This Post

Related News You Should Read

AI slams France over Roma evictions

French police evacuate a Roma family in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, near Lille. (file photo) Sun Dec 2, 2012 5:20PM Share | Email | Print The number of forced deportations has remained stable, about the same as under the old government. There was even a spike during the third quarter of 2012.” Marion Cadrier, a French researcher for

---

French police kill 1, arrest 10 others

Policemen of the GIPN (French national police internvention groups) get ready to leave after searching a building as part of an anti-terrorist operation, in Cannes, southeastern France on October 6, 2012 Sat Oct 6, 2012 2:29PM LAST UPDATE Share | Email | Print During an anti-terrorist police operation in Strasbourg…, gunfire was exchanged between police

---

France bans further anti-US protests

Protesters are arrested by French Gendarmerie near the US embassy in Paris, on September 15, 2012, during a demonstration against the anti-Islam film produced in the United States Sun Sep 16, 2012 4:18PM Share | Email | Print France’s Interior Minister Manuel Valls has ordered a ban on any further demonstrations against an anti-Islam film

---