France ruled this Friday “totally unfounded” the accusation of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights that it has problems of racism and racial discrimination within its police forces.
“Any accusation of racism or systemic discrimination by the police in France is completely unfounded,” reacted the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a press release. “The last universal periodic review to which our country has submitted has enabled us to demonstrate this,” the ministry stressed, adding that “France and its law enforcement forces are fighting with determination against racism and all forms of discrimination. There can be no doubt about this commitment”.
The use of force is debated
The government has announced the deployment of gendarmerie armored vehicles to try to stem the cycle of violence, looting and destruction that has affected many towns in the country since the death on Tuesday of young Nahel, 17, killed by a police officer during a road check.
Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said on Friday that it was “time for the country to seriously address the deep problems of racism and racial discrimination among the armed forces. of the order “. But according to the ministry, “the forces of order deal with great professionalism in situations and acts of extreme violence”.
“The use of force by the national police and gendarmerie is governed by the principles of absolute necessity and proportionality, strictly supervised and controlled. 249 police officers have been injured in violence in recent days, ”recalls the press release from the Quai d’Orsay.