MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A prominent watchdog said Friday it had sent a list of questions on human rights to French presidential candidates, stressing that the issue was almost not covered in the nominees' campaigns.
"Human rights issues have been virtually invisible in the French presidential campaign, but are essential for the country’s future, both in terms of national policy and diplomacy," the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
Some of the questions are related to protection rights and freedoms in France while combating terrorism, place of human rights in Paris' relations with Russia, the United States and China, fight against impunity. The issue of Syria conflict, French arms sales to Saudi Arabia and French military interventions in the Sahel region were also mentioned.
"The next president of the French Republic will need to be a guardian of the founding values of democracy and the rule of law, for everyone living on French territory and for France’s relations with other countries," HRW France Director Benedicte Jeannerod said.
According to HRW, the answers would help voters to have a better understanding of candidates' policies.
The questions were sent to French presidential hopefuls through social media networks and are also published on a dedicated page, while the responses would be made public before the first round of election set for April 23.
