"Global security": article 24 is "an attack on freedom of expression", according to Council of Europe

The Council of Europe urged Thursday, the Senate which will examine in March the proposed law on global security, to amend this text, considering that its very controversial article 24 "undermined the freedom of expression" ".

"The text of this article as it is submitted for your consideration remains, in my opinion, unsatisfactory from the point of view of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms", writes the Commissioner for Human Rights of Council of Europe, Dunja Mijatović, in a letter dated December 15 and addressed to the members of the Law Commission of the Upper House and to its President, François-Noël Buffet.

"Questionable" compatibility with article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights

"I consider that the prohibition erected by article 24 (...) constitutes an infringement of the right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to inform, and that the compatibility of such interference with Article 10 of the (European Convention on Human Rights), which guarantees this right, appears doubtful to say the least, "writes Dunja Mijatović.

Adopted by the deputies, the proposed law on comprehensive security has for weeks aroused sharp criticism from the left, journalists and NGOs defending freedoms.

This includes article 24, which prohibits and penalizes the malicious dissemination of images of the police.

Faced with the outcry provoked by this article, the government finally left it to Parliament to find a new wording when the text is due to pass before the Senate in March.

"This ban constitutes an attack on the right to freedom of expression, which includes the freedom to inform, and it is likely to aggravate the crisis of confidence between part of the population and part of the police, which cannot contribute to the protection of the latter ", further believes the Commissioner.

47% of 18-30s "don't trust" the police

According to a #MoiJeune 20 Minutes - OpinionWay poll published on Friday, 47% of 18-30 year olds “do not trust” the police, against 33% in the general population.

About 45% are however in favor or rather in favor of "the ban on broadcasting images allowing the identification of a police officer or a gendarme in operation with comments inciting hatred", a subject at the heart of the demonstrations against the Global Security law.

"Strengthening the links between the police and the population implies improving the effective and harmonious protection of the rights of both," said the Commissioner.

"At this stage of the" parliamentary procedure, "it is up to you to ensure the compatibility of this text with the standards relating to human rights to which France is a party", still launches senators Dunja Mijatović, who "therefore urges them to remove this ban".