Michel Zecler: the Defender of Rights calls for disciplinary proceedings
Published on
“The acts of which Michel Zecler was the victim are extremely serious,” the Defender of Rights, France’s human rights ombudsman, stated in a decision issued today.
The Defender of Rights, Claire Hédon, has delivered her findings on the violent arrest of music producer Michel Zecler in November 2020. The administrative inquiry confirms multiple violations of the Internal Security Code, including the “unjustified and disproportionate” use of force, the indiscriminate throwing of a tear gas grenade into an enclosed space, and a breach of “the obligation to respect the dignity of persons” through the use of racist insults.
The institution also highlights a breach of the duty of integrity, as the police report initially drawn up by the officers had “distorted and attempted to conceal” the reality of the events, which was contradicted by CCTV footage.
In light of these findings, Claire Hédon criticises the fact that no disciplinary board has been convened to date, and the failure of supervisory oversight. She has formally referred the matter to the Interior Minister, calling for disciplinary proceedings to be brought immediately against the four police officers implicated.