European Court Criticizes France for Failing to Protect Racial Profiling Victim’s Rights

The European Court of Human Rights condemned France on Thursday for not safeguarding the rights of Karim Touil, a French man who accused police of racial profiling. The court found that the government failed to provide “objective and reasonable justification” for stopping Touil three times within ten days in Besançon in 2011.

While the court could not establish discrimination in the cases of five other French plaintiffs, it emphasized that police officers often face challenges in making quick decisions about threats to public order without clear internal guidelines. However, concerning Touil, the court concluded that the treatment he received was “presumed discriminatory” and could not be refuted by the French government.

As a result, the court ordered France to pay Touil 3,000 euros, roughly $3,500, in damages.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International previously highlighted the widespread and ingrained nature of racial profiling in France. Last year, they reported that young men and boys perceived as Black or Arab, some as young as ten, frequently undergo “abusive and illegal identity checks.” The groups also lodged a formal complaint with the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, calling attention to the systemic issue.