France Faces Scrutiny Over Prison Conditions and Police Force in UN Torture Review

France was represented by a large and diverse delegation headed by Isabelle Rome, Ambassador for Human Rights at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

The United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT) concluded its examination of France’s eighth periodic report under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment during its 82nd session in Geneva. Over the course of the dialogue, Committee Experts raised serious concerns over persistent issues related to prison overcrowding and the excessive use of force by law enforcement, while also commending France for its high-level engagement and commitment to addressing these challenges.

Active Engagement and Broad Representation

France was represented by a large and diverse delegation headed by Isabelle Rome, Ambassador for Human Rights at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The delegation included members from a broad range of government ministries including Justice, Interior, Health, Armed Forces, and Overseas Territories, as well as representatives from the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons and France’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Committee Expert and Country Co-Rapporteur Abderrazak Rouwane praised France’s active engagement with the review process, particularly the inclusion of civil society and the national human rights institution in the dialogue. However, he did not shy away from pointing out significant concerns.

Prison Overcrowding: A Longstanding Problem

Rouwane highlighted the dire conditions in French prisons, noting that the prison population currently exceeds 79,000 individuals, while official prison capacity is only around 61,000. He pointed to reports of deteriorating facilities, including infestations of rodents, cockroaches, and bedbugs, along with inadequate sanitation and staffing levels. The Committee pressed France to clarify what concrete steps were being taken to ensure that prison occupancy does not exceed 100% capacity and to uphold the human dignity of incarcerated individuals.

In response, Ambassador Rome stated that France is actively pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to address prison overcrowding. This includes the construction of 15,000 additional prison places, with 6,500 already created and 17 new facilities opened. Legal reforms are also central to the government’s approach. A 2019 law abolished custodial sentences of less than one month, a 2021 law enhanced early release mechanisms like bail, and a 2023 law promoted non-custodial alternatives such as electronic monitoring and community service.

Police Conduct Under Scrutiny

Committee Expert Jorge Contesse, the other Country Co-Rapporteur, raised the issue of excessive use of force by law enforcement, especially during road checks and public demonstrations. Contesse expressed concern over the rise in civilian deaths following a 2017 law that expanded police authority to use firearms if officers perceived a significant threat. He called for greater transparency and preventive measures to ensure accountability and proportionality in policing.

France responded by noting that its police code of ethics mandates the use of force only when absolutely necessary and proportional. Rome emphasized that the government had implemented wide-ranging human rights training for law enforcement personnel and had reformed its protest policing policies to safeguard the right to peaceful assembly.

Further details from the delegation revealed that 350 incidents of excessive police force were reported in 2021. In 96% of those cases that led to convictions, the officers involved received prison sentences, with an average duration of 15 months. These statistics were presented as evidence of the judicial system’s commitment to holding violators accountable.

Moving Forward with Recommendations

In closing remarks, Erdogan Iscan, the Committee’s Vice-Chair and acting Chair for the dialogue, thanked France for its thorough participation and reaffirmed that the Committee’s forthcoming recommendations would be geared toward enhancing the implementation of the Convention and overcoming existing hurdles.

Ambassador Rome concluded the session by expressing France’s dedication to upholding the Convention and welcomed the Committee’s input as guidance for further improvements. She assured the Committee that France would continue its efforts to combat torture, not just domestically, but as a global advocate for human rights.

Next Steps and Future Reviews

The Committee will publish its concluding observations on France’s report at the end of the current session, on May 2, 2025. These findings will be accessible on the session’s official webpage. Meanwhile, the Committee is scheduled to next meet publicly on Wednesday, April 23, to begin its review of Turkmenistan’s third periodic report under the Convention.

As the Committee continues its critical work, France now faces the task of turning its promises into policy and ensuring that its justice and law enforcement systems reflect the principles of dignity, accountability, and human rights enshrined in international law.