The French Government is Wednesday considering a change to its constitution, allowing it to declare a state of emergency in the event of an "immediate danger resulting from serious breach of public order" or in the case of "events presenting, by nature and gravity, a characteristic of public calamity."
However, according to Amnesty International, the proposed change to France's Constitution would put many people at even greater risk of human rights violations by giving the authorities wide powers to close down organizations, conduct unwarranted house raids, shut down mosques and restrict people's freedom of movement.
#France: Unwarranted raids, restricted movement & emergency state must not become new norm. https://t.co/7DHvBRiA05 pic.twitter.com/tCEKFlTq49
— AmnestyInternational (@amnesty) December 22, 2015
'Dangerous Step'
Under the present state of emergency, imposed after the November 13 attacks in Paris, in which 130 people were killed and hundreds injured, the French authorities can carry out house searches without a warrant, impose assigned residency, shut down associations, and restrict other human rights including the right of peaceful assembly.
#France can now shut down any #website and search whoever it wants. https://t.co/vMTToK8W5E by @_andrew_griffin pic.twitter.com/Y5qUhXkIag
— Expats Paris (@ExpatsinParis) December 23, 2015
So far, there have been 2,700 warrant-less house searches, 360 people have been assigned residency (see below), more than 20 mosques and many Muslim associations have been searched, and around ten mosques shut down.
#France is still in #stateofemergency! "@SomersetBean 100+ organizations calling for lift https://t.co/V2Rkep725B pic.twitter.com/BWqCFeFjbu"
— Joelle Nebbe-Mornod (@iphigenie) December 22, 2015
"These emergency measures are already proving to be disproportionate. Extending them outside of a state of emergency is a dangerous step," Amnesty International Europe and Central Asia Deputy Director Gauri van Gulik said.
"Using the terrorist threat to change the constitution opens the floodgates for emergency-like measures to become the new norm. Declaring a state of emergency in situations where there is a ‘threat to the life of the nation' such as the Paris attacks is one thing, but entrenching emergency measures to counter more vaguely-defined threats is another. Many people are being targeted solely on the basis of their religious practices or vague suspicions," he said.
