BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 25. France's national report on its implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights was presented during the 142nd session of the UN Human Rights Committee, held on October 22-23.TurkicWorld reports via French media.
A number of organizations brought to light a can of worms regarding serious human rights violations in France.
Vice Chair of the UN Human Rights Committee José Manuel Santos Pais refuted the information provided by the French representatives.
"In May 2024, despite the provisions of the Nouméa Accord, which outline a gradual transfer of power from France to New Caledonia, the National Assembly voted to expand the electoral body in New Caledonia. This decision sparked protests from thousands of Kanak demonstrators, who criticized the reforms for moving forward without prior free and informed consultations with the representative institutions of Indigenous peoples.
Since then, fierce clashes have erupted due to a lack of dialogue from the authorities. The French government has deployed significant military forces to restore order, but numerous reports of excessive use of force have emerged, leading to several deaths and many injuries among Kanak demonstrators and law enforcement personnel," the Vice Chair said.
He also mentioned the two-week block on the social media platform TikTok.
"According to the Committee's data, at least 11 people were shot, 169 were injured, and around 1,700 demonstrators were arrested, some of whom were sent to mainland France. Human rights defenders, especially those from Kanak organizations, have also faced arrests. Additionally, despite documentation of acts of violence and damage to public and private property, the response to the demonstrations has been repressive. The severity of the recorded incidents of violence and the number of casualties raise significant concerns. It appears that the violence occurring in these territories violates the Nouméa Accord and is linked to a lack of progress in the decolonization process," José Manuel Santos Pais said.
He emphasized that, according to France's report, the committee's findings are not binding for the state in question, but the government aims to implement them as sincerely as possible.
"We see that France has not fulfilled any of the decisions made in cases related to discrimination (Hebbadj v. France, Yaker v. France, Cochet v. France)," the Vice Chair concluded.
Will be updated
