Serbian professor: France used excessive force against protesters in New Caledonia

Serbian professor Tijana Surlan, a member of the Human Rights Committee, has criticized the human rights situation in France.

According to Report, speaking at the 142nd session of the Human Rights Committee, the professor questioned French representatives about injuries of protestors resulting from excessive use of force during riots that began in New Caledonia in May 2024:

"It would be important to provide timely and accurate information about completed disciplinary and criminal proceedings, court decisions, charges, and punishments applied to law enforcement officers who abused their powers, in order to restore confidence in the system."

She noted that there are obstacles to the full implementation of the new right of appeal, which prevents it from yielding positive results.

"There are still concerns about overcrowding and inhumane detention conditions in penitentiary institutions both in France and overseas territories. In 2021, the detention conditions were emphasized to be inhumane. Therefore, we would like to learn how the state communicates information about prisoners."