The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) delivered a seismic rebuke to France, ruling that police racially profiled French citizen Karim Touil in 2011 with no “objective justification” for stopping him three times in ten days. After a 14-year legal battle, the court condemned France for violating Touil’s fundamental rights and ordered the state to pay him €3,000 in compensation.
The landmark decision exposed France’s systemic policing crisis, citing damning evidence that young men perceived as Black or Arab face identity checks 20 times more often than others. Judges declared France failed to refute a “presumption of discriminatory treatment” against Touil, who was stopped repeatedly while walking or driving in Besançon.
The ruling amplifies explosive reports from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch confirming racial profiling is “widespread and deeply rooted” across France, with boys as young as 10 subjected to illegal checks. While acknowledging policing challenges, the court stressed France violated Touil’s right to privacy (Article 8), stating: “The government failed to refute discriminatory intent.”
Five similar cases were dismissed, underscoring the steep burden of proof for victims. Outside the Strasbourg courthouse, Touil declared: “This victory isn’t just mine – it’s for every child afraid to walk home because of their skin. France must finally see us.”
France now faces urgent calls to reform police practices, including body cameras, bias training, and receipts for ID checks. As Le Monde noted, this is “a wake-up call to a nation in denial.”