Rapport Raad van Europa veroordeelt toestand van het Franse gevangeniswezen (en)
Strasbourg, 15.02.2006 - The Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Alvaro Gil-Robles, will present his report on the respect for human rights in France to the Committee of Ministers today. The report will be forwarded to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and be made public.
The 100 page report follows a two weeks official visit to France in September last year, during which the Commissioner visited sites throughout the country including holding and reception centres for foreigners, police stations, remand centres and prisons, a psychiatric hospital and centres for victims of domestic violence.
During his visit the Commissioner traveled to Marseille, Avignon, Bastia, Strasbourg, Hautes-Pyrennes and Normandy and met with members of the judiciary, police, local authorities and civil society in addition to holding official meetings with the national authorities in Paris.
The report identifies a number of shortcomings regarding the administration of justice, detention conditions, the treatment of arriving foreigners, asylum and expulsion procedures, discrimination and xenophobia, domestic violence and trafficking in human beings.
The report concludes with recommendations to the French authorities.
The report will be available, in English, French on the website of the Commissioner for Human Rights, www.commissioner.coe.int as of 12.00.
Council of Europe Press Division
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 60
Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 39 11
Contact :
John Dalhuisen, Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights
mobile : +33 (0)6 61 14 70 37, email : john.dalhuisen@coe.int