UN questions human rights implications of France’s state of emergency

France’s state of emergency has been questioned by the United Nations (UN) for imposing excessive and disproportionate restrictions on fundamental freedoms. The state of emergency was declared after attacks across Paris on 13 November 2015 left 130 people dead and is currently scheduled to last until the end of February. A group of UN human rights experts have criticised the the ‘lack of clarity and precision on provisions’ regarding several state of emergency and surveillance laws that they feel restrict legitimate rights of privacy and freedom. The UN experts have called on France to not extend the state of emergency until 26 February as planned and to consider reforms so as to comply with international human rights laws. A joint statement said: “As France debates the strengthening of measures in the fight against terrorism, and considers a reform of the criminal procedure, we call on the authorities to revise the provisions and possible reforms adopted to that end, to ensure they comply with international human rights law. “Ensuring adequate protection against abuse in the use of exceptional measures and surveillance measures in the context of the fight against terrorism is an international obligation of the French State. “While exceptional measures may be required under exceptional circumstances, this does not relieve the authorities from demonstrating that these are applied solely for the purposes for which they were prescribed, and are directly related to the specific objective that inspired them.”