Overview

• The European Court of Human Rights found that Karim Touil’s three identity checks in ten days lacked objective justification and established a presumption of discriminatory treatment.
• The court rejected similar claims from five other applicants, determining their evidence did not meet the threshold for proving discrimination.
• The decision, which stems from stops in Besançon in 2011 and 2012, marks the culmination of a legal battle that began more than a decade ago.
• A Défenseur des droits survey shows the proportion of people stopped by police rose from 16% in 2016 to 26% in 2024, with young men perceived as Arab, Black or North African facing far higher risks of stops and searches.
• The Défenseur des droits has recommended implementing traceability for identity checks and strengthening legal safeguards to prevent racial profiling.