Overview

• The European Court of Human Rights ruled that France violated Articles 14 and 8 of the European Convention by stopping Karim Touil three times in 10 days in Besançon without objective justification.
• It ordered France to pay Touil €3,000 in moral damages, finding a presumption of discriminatory treatment that the government failed to rebut.
• This marks the first time the court has held France responsible for racial profiling in identity checks against citizens of North African descent.
• A report by ombudswoman Claire Hédon found identity checks rose from 16 percent in 2016 to 26 percent in 2024, with young men perceived as Arab, black or North African four times more likely to be stopped.
• Human rights groups and the ombudswoman have called for reforms including written receipts for all checks and a transparent system to challenge discriminatory stops.