AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE
AI Index: EUR 21/006/2005
6 April 2005

The French government ministers, judges and senior police officers are
allowing members of the police force to use excessive and sometimes lethal
force against suspects of Arab and African origin without fear of serious
repercussions, Amnesty International said today.

In its report France: The Search for Justice, through 10 years of
documenting and exposing cases, Amnesty International has uncovered
evidence of widespread failure of the judicial system to prosecute and
punish human rights violations. This includes a "two-speed justice" --
which prosecutes cases brought by police officers far more quickly than
those brought by their victims. The cases of Youssef Khaïf (police
killing) and Aïssa Ihich (death in custody), for example, both took 10
years to come to court. This pattern of impunity contributes to a lack of
public confidence that law enforcement officials operate under the rule of
law and are held accountable for their actions. Amnesty International has
found that a large number of cases never reach the courtroom. When they
do, convictions are rare, and sentences often nominal.

"In our view, there is effective impunity for police officers committing
human rights violations - we have identified a widespread failure of the
judicial system to effectively investigate, prosecute and punish human
rights violations in law enforcement affairs," said Nicola Duckworth of
Amnesty International.

The number of fatal shootings by police officers or gendarmes, in disputed
circumstances, has declined in recent years, but complaints of
ill-treatment have increased. Complaints about police conduct increased by
18.5 per cent in 2004.

In addition, Amnesty International is concerned at the continuing lack of
respect for internal guidelines or codes of conduct, as well as for
international norms. Among the concerns are the reluctance of public
prosecutors to pursue cases against police officers; mistreatment and lack
of safeguards in police custody; unnecessarily lengthy delays in judicial
proceedings; and the lack of a full definition of forture in the Penal
Code.

The organisation is calling for the French authorities to create an
independent mechanism to investigate all allegations of serious human
rights violations; bring those responsible to justice after prompt and
thorough investigations; ensure that all detainees are granted access to a
lawyer from the outset of police custody; and ensure that the victims
receive redress.

"The prevention of torture and ill-treatment is primarily a matter of
political will," said Nicola Duckworth. "There must be full accountability
for everyone involved no matter what their rank."

The Search for Justice: The effective impunity of law enforcement officers
in cases of shootings, deaths in custody or torture and ill-treatment
http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGEUR210012005