French authorities need to respect the right to demonstrate and protect protesters in Nanterre, said Kamal Jafarov, Azerbaijani MP, Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), AzVision.az report citing Trend.
He has made the remark, following the tragic incident in which a 17-year-old teenager was fatally shot by the police in the Paris suburb of Nanterre. After the incident clashes erupted between protesters and law enforcement.
“I am very appalled with news of a 17-year-old Algerian origin fatally shot by police officer in France. In 2023, France witnessed a disturbing trend of 13 deaths resulting from police shootings during traffic stops. Sadly, this recent incident marks the second fatal occurrence of its kind this year,” he said.
Jafarov noted that three people were killed by police gunfire after refusing to comply with a traffic stop in 2021 and two in 2020.
“A Reuters tally of fatal shootings in 2021 and 2022 shows the majority of victims were black or Arabic origin,” he added.
“First, I ask French authorities to investigate systemic and ethnic nature behind the excessive use of force by police and to increase their efforts to ensure that justice is served timely and adequately for all victims. Second, I call French authorities to respect the right to demonstrate and protect protesters in Nanterre,” he concluded.
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