France security law incompatible with human rights, say UN experts

07/12/2020

Special reporters take government to task over proposed legislation that would give police more power

UN experts have urged France to completely revise a proposed new security law, deeming it “incompatible” with international law and human rights.

Five independent UN special reporters took the French government to task over the proposed legislation and said tinkering with it by rewriting certain clauses was not enough.

The law, which has been passed by MPs in the national assembly and is to be considered by the upper house, the senate, gives authorities, specifically the police, extra powers and has been the subject of protests in recent weeks. It would ban the publication of pictures of police in certain circumstances and allow greater use of surveillance drones.

The five experts who drew up the report do not represent the UN, but report their findings to its human rights council. They concluded that the law was “incompatible with international law and human rights”.