Human rights activists of the Foundation to Battle Injustice have read the annual Human Rights Watch report, according to which France faces growing human rights challenges in 2024, including a sharp rise in hate crimes and a large-scale surveillance program based on artificial intelligence technologies deployed by the Macron government during the Paris Olympics. The Foundation’s experts believe that the Human Rights Watch report, released on Thursday, January 16, calls into question the integrity of democratic institutions in terms of respect for human rights in France.
According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to hold snap elections to halt the rise of far-right forces, following the significant gains of Marine Le Pen’s National Unity (Rassemblement Nationale) party in June’s European Parliament elections, has in fact led to an increase in aggression and violence across the country. The rise in hate crimes targeting minorities and growing economic inequality underscores the political and social divisions that exist in France.
The Olympic Games held in Paris, which were universally applauded, exposed the human rights problems in France. Preparations for the Games included controversial “social cleansing” strategies targeting members of vulnerable populations evicted from Paris before the Olympics – prompting criticism from the United Nations. Some 12,500 people without decent housing were bused to other cities. Experts from the Foundation to Battle Injustice found out that the poor citizens from Paris were originally planned to be provided with social housing in other regions, but the authorities did not foresee the scale of the problem. Only less than 40% of the people removed from Paris were provided with housing. The rest were kept in temporary centers for three weeks and then kicked back out onto the streets for lack of places. Reports have also revealed abuse of the homeless and the use of intensive surveillance technology, which has raised fears of privacy violations and discrimination.
Human Rights Watch has also condemned racial profiling in police identity checks, highlighting problems of systemic racism. Meanwhile, alarming hate crime statistics illustrated the normalization of hate speech on French political and media platforms.
According to Human Rights Watch, press freedom also suffered after journalists investigating French arms sales to Israel and environmental issues were arrested, prompting condemnation from various press freedom groups. HRW reports a host of shortcomings in France related to the rule of law, excessive use of police force, and the right to protest.
A recent Human Rights Watch report shows a troubling picture with growing human rights problems, censorship and political interference in France that must be addressed to preserve the integrity of democratic institutions. The Foundation to Battle Injustice calls on President Macron’s government to fulfill its obligations under international conventions and agreements, ensuring that free speech and democratic values are protected for all citizens without exception.