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The most controversial part of the Global Security Bill, Article 24, prohibits the publication of photographs and videos that allow the identification of a law enforcement officer “for the purpose of physically or psychologically harming him.” If a person is found guilty, their expected year in prison or 45,000. a fine of EUR.
The bill, which has received much criticism and sparked protests, has been adjusted to ensure freedom of the media, according to lawmakers. The bill, approved by the National Assembly on Tuesday, will be debated in the Senate in December.
VIDEO: In France, hundreds of people are protesting a proposed law that prohibits the publication of images of police officers.
French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the new bill “must not harm the legitimate public interest of being informed.”
According to former journalist Claire Hedon, a French human rights defender, the amendment to Article 24 is a step in the right direction. However, he warned that there are already ways in France to punish those who post detrimental videos.
On Saturday, protests against the bill took place in France: some 22,000 people gathered in various cities in the country. people. In Paris, the participants included members of the media, members of the Extinction Rebellion movement and yellow vest protesters.
Kerosene was also added to the fire by officers who used excessive force on Monday to pursue a migrant camp in Paris. Common videos on social media show that some migrants have been beaten. Interior Minister Gerard Darmanin called these images “shocking”.
The possibility of filming citizens is expanded
The Global Security Act will expand the ability of law enforcement officers to film citizens without their consent using cameras and body-mounted drones. The law will limit the release of photos or videos showing the faces of police officers, writes CNN.
Amnesty International says that if the law is passed as it is now, France, one of the first in the world to declare human rights universal, will be an exception among democracies.
Scanpix / SIPA photo / Immigrant camp in Paris
“If people cannot film anything in the streets, when the police can sometimes use force illegally, it sends a very worrying message,” Cecile Coudriou, president of Amnesty International in France, told the broadcaster.
Proponents of the bill say it is necessary because officials were often publicized and terrorized on social media during the yellow vest protests in 2018 and 2019. According to defenders of the law, this will not hamper the work of journalists , since the persecuted persons will only be sanctioned if there is evidence of the intention to do harm.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) maintains that the definition of the law is too vague. “Intent is a concept that is open to interpretations that are difficult to determine,” the organization said in a statement.
“Any posted photos or videos that identify police officers and are accompanied by critical comments can be charged with attempting to harm those officers,” RSF said in a statement.
Jean-Michel Fauvergue, a member of the La République en Marche party, President Emmanuel Macrono, who previously headed the anti-terror unit of the police, supports the draft Global Security Law.
AFP / Scanpix Photo / Officials in Paris
“Article 24 is intended to prohibit advertising and terror of officials on social networks, so that malicious and dangerous people do not do so. Don’t worry: journalists will continue to do their job, “JaFauvergue told parliament.
The right of citizens to defend themselves
The fear of not only restrictions on the work of journalists is also a concern for the public. According to Coudriou, there have been many recent cases in France where police brutality has been exposed by means that are now prohibited.
Amnesty International has used several of these videos after verifying their authenticity.
“This shows that police brutality can occur despite a constant denial strategy,” Coudriou told CNN.
Cédric Chouviatas, 42, who has North African roots earlier this year, died shortly after police detained him near the Eiffel Tower, writes CNN.
According to the footage, Chouviat was knocked to the ground by three officers and died in hospital. An autopsy revealed a broken throat.
Police have long denied the misconduct, but the videos led to the launch of a criminal investigation. Now three police officers are charged with murder and all deny their guilt.
Earlier this year, French journalist Valentin Gendrot was secretly employed by the police. In his book, he wrote not only about the constant stress and hostility that officers experience that leads to suicide, but also about the racism and violence that is observed among police officers.
AFP / “Scanpix” nuotr./Valentinas Gendrotas
“I wanted to get a secret job at the police station so I could show what we never see. There are two major taboos in France: police violence and lack of professionalism, as well as police suicides. In France, people either like the police or they hate them, “Gendrot told The Guardian.
According to the reporter, during one of the first patrols, he saw a colleague hit a migrant teenager on a police bus.
“Two weeks in uniform and I am already an accomplice in beating a young migrant. The incident was never recorded. What happens on the bus stays on the bus ”, writes V. Gendrotas in the book” Flic “.
VIDEO: In Nice, a person armed with a knife killed three people during an alleged terrorist attack
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