France rejects UN statement on racial discrimination in law enforcement agencies

Paris dismissed a statement from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Friday, which called on France to address "issues of racial discrimination within its law enforcement agencies".

"Any accusation of systemic racism or discrimination by the police in France is totally groundless," said French Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Noting that police officers in France are subjected to a level of internal, external and judicial control that "few countries experience," the statement said: "France and its police fight resolutely against racism and all forms of discrimination."

"There can be no doubt about this commitment," said the statement.

It underlined that police deal with violent situations "with great professionalism" and added that the use of force by relevant authorities "is governed by the principles of absolute necessity and proportionality, and is strictly regulated and controlled."

A total of 249 police officers have been injured in the violence of recent days, it added.

"This is a moment for the country to seriously address the deep issues of racism and discrimination in law enforcement," Ravina Shamdasani, the spokeswoman for the UN human rights office, told a media briefing in Geneva early Friday.

France has seen a wave of violent protests since a police officer shot dead 17-year-old Nahel M. in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on June 27.