The French Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a controversial national security bill that significantly expands the state’s power to fight terrorism, although critics say it poses a historic threat to civil liberties.
At the behest of President Emmanuel Macron, the new legislation will extend police powers in an attempt to stop a wave of terrorist violence that has claimed 239 lives in France since 2015. As recently as Sunday, a man — who the Islamic State later claimed was a “soldier” of the group — fatally stabbed two women at a train station in Marseille. On Monday, police arrested five people in connection with a homemade bomb in a Paris apartment building.
Since the day after terrorist attacks killed 130 people in Paris in November 2015, France has been under an official “state of emergency,” a temporary regime of heightened security measures that have given local police and administrative authorities heightened powers to arrest and detain suspects without judicial oversight. The anti-terrorism laws approved Tuesday will make many of these special provisions permanent.
You've reached your daily free article limit.
Subscribe and support our veteran writing staff to continue reading.
The French Parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a controversial national security bill that significantly expands the state’s power to fight terrorism, although critics say it poses a historic threat to civil liberties.
At the behest of President Emmanuel Macron, the new legislation will extend police powers in an attempt to stop a wave of terrorist violence that has claimed 239 lives in France since 2015. As recently as Sunday, a man — who the Islamic State later claimed was a “soldier” of the group — fatally stabbed two women at a train station in Marseille. On Monday, police arrested five people in connection with a homemade bomb in a Paris apartment building.
Since the day after terrorist attacks killed 130 people in Paris in November 2015, France has been under an official “state of emergency,” a temporary regime of heightened security measures that have given local police and administrative authorities heightened powers to arrest and detain suspects without judicial oversight. The anti-terrorism laws approved Tuesday will make many of these special provisions permanent.
Read the whole story from The Washington Post.
Join SOFREP for insider access and analysis.
TRY 14 DAYS FREEAlready a subscriber? Log In
COMMENTS
You must become a subscriber or login to view or post comments on this article.