The Council of Europe's anti-racism commission warned on Monday against racial profiling in the police force, which can lead to " institutionalized racism " and must be " expressly prohibited by law ", according to a press release. institution.
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" Racial profiling is a specific form of racial discrimination and must be expressly prohibited by law, " insists the commission, noting the " sense of humiliation and injustice " experienced by the groups it targets. According to the European Court of Human Rights, which monitors respect for fundamental rights in the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, racial profiling can lead to " institutionalized racism ", the press release points out.
The Anti-Racism Commission therefore urges member states " to take action in this area, ranging from the development of recruitment procedures which ensure that the composition of the police reflects the diversity of the population, to the creation of fully independent bodies responsible for investigating on allegations of abuse by the police ”.
The institution hopes that the current debate around police violence and racism, relaunched after the death of the African-American George Floyd, killed by a white police officer in the United States, gives states the opportunity to send a message clear of zero tolerance and to " raise awareness of the historical dimension of racism and inequality, especially colonialism and slavery ".
In a 2019 report, the United Nations defined racial profiling as " any act of law enforcement when using generalizations based on race, color, descent, nationality or ethnicity , rather than on individual behavior or objective evidence "to subject people to searches, identity checks or investigations.
