UN experts urge France to avoid impinging on freedoms while fighting terrorism

A group of UN human rights experts warned on Tuesday that the current state of emergency in France and the law on surveillance of electronic communications impose "excessive and disproportionate restrictions" on fundamental freedoms.

In a list of concerns shared with the French government, the UN experts stressed the lack of clarity and precision of several provisions of the state of emergency and surveillance laws, related to the nature and scope of restrictions to the legitimate exercise of right to freedom of expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association and the right to privacy.

"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," they noted.

The UN experts also noted that the law on surveillance of international electronic communications, adopted in November 2015, expands the power of the executive over the collection, analysis and storage of communications content or metadata, without requiring prior authorization or judicial review.

"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," they stated.

At the same time, experts expressed their solidarity and deepest sympathy to the victims of the terrorist attacks committed in France and many other places in the world.

The experts joined the latest call include UN special rapporteurs David Kaye, Maina Kiai, Michel Forst, Ben Emmerson and Joseph Cannataci. Endit