Europe 1 with AFP // Photo credit: Ed JONES / AFP 4:47 p.m., March 1, 2024

Based on article 39 of the regulation, opponents of the A69 motorway project urgently referred the matter to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The objective is to put an end to “the methods” of the French authorities against the demonstrators.

The Court indicated that it will rule on this request on Monday. 

Opponents of the A69 Toulouse-Castres motorway project urgently seized the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in order to put an end to "the methods" of the French authorities against the demonstrators, we learned on Friday from of the Court.

The referral was sent Thursday to the Court, which transmitted questions to the French government and will rule on the applicants' request on Monday, said a source at the ECHR.

In their request, opponents of the motorway project denounce methods used according to them by the police against demonstrators who camp at the top of trees and call themselves "squirrels": denial of access to food and drinking water, sleep deprivation, smoking... "Faced with this situation of imminent danger, the request filed with the ECHR aims to put an immediate end to the failings of the French public authorities", indicated on opponents The Way is Clear and National Tree Watch Group (GNSA).

The prefect of Tarn denied “the assertions”

The opponents appeal to the judges on the basis of Article 39 of the Rules of Court, which governs emergency interim measures.

Basically, they accuse the French government of violating the European Convention on Human Rights in its articles 2 (right to life), 3 (prohibition of torture), 6 (right to a fair trial), 8 (respect for private and family life) and 13 (right to an effective remedy).

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The referral to the Court was made on the same day as the end-of-mission declaration of the UN special rapporteur on the protection of environmental defenders, Michel Forst, who asked Paris for “immediate protection measures” opponents of the A69.

Michel Forst, who visited the site at the end of February, requested "an investigation and sanctions for the acts of sleep deprivation, burning of materials, lighting of fires and dumping of apparently flammable products by the forces of order, who may have endangered the lives" of environmental demonstrators.

In reaction, the prefect of Tarn denied “the assertions” of Michel Forst and regretted that he had not taken into account “the explanations given to him”.

The 53 km motorway section would reduce the Castres-Toulouse journey by around twenty minutes.

The government said it was determined to see the project through to completion.