we explain to you the controversy triggered by the words of Gérald Darmanin on the League of Human Rights

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During his hearing before the Senate on Wednesday, the Minister of the Interior wondered about the financing of the association, within the framework of its activities around the maintenance of order.

Is the League for Human Rights (LDH) in the sights of the government? The words of Gérald Darmanin on the association, and in particular on its financing, during his hearings before the deputies and senators, Wednesday, April 5, provoked an outcry on the left. heard on his management of the maintenance of order during the demonstrations against the pension reform and during the rally against the “mega-basin” of Sainte-Soline (Deux-Sèvres), thehe Minister of the Interior wondered about the “shares” carried out by the LDH in this context and on the subsidies granted to it by the State. The association and the left-wing opposition immediately condemned this declaration. Franceinfo returns to the controversy.

The minister criticizes the Human Rights League for its “actions” in Sainte-Soline

In recent weeks, the LDH has deployed citizen observers during demonstrations to, among other things, document the system of maintaining order. This was the case in Sainte-Soline on March 25. First heard by the deputies of the law commission of the National Assembly, Gérald Darmanin argued that “the court of Poitiers itself does not[avait] not recognized observer status at the LDH” in Sainte-Soline, which the association had “attacked the decree of the prefect which prevented the transport of weapons” and had “called to demonstrate despite the ban”.

By presenting a long “Power point” on the device of the authorities for the assembly prohibited in Sainte-Soline, the minister returned before the senators of the commission of the laws of the Senate on the appeal of the LDH concerning the transport of weapons. This decree, “who seems struck from the corner of common sense”, “was attacked in court by the League of Human Rights. The administrative court very fortunately validated the work of the prefect of Deux-Sèvres. This is to tell you in what state of mind a certain number of people were, in view of this manifestation”, did he declare.

After this introductory remark, the senator Les Républicains François Bonhomme went further by attacking the “self-proclaimed observers of police practices from the League of Human Rights and the Defender of Rights”. “The League of Human Rights is financed by public funds. We must stop financing associations that seriously challenge the State […] These associations have nothing to do with the rule of law, whatever they say”he launched, challenging the minister.

Respondent “not knowing about state subsidies to the Human Rights League”Gérald Darmanin added: “Indeed, it deserves to be watched. But I remind you that many local authorities finance them.”

The League for Human Rights responds to this appeal and its funding

The LDH, an association founded in 1898, first tweeted to retort to the minister that it works “for more than one hundred and twenty years” For “the defense of rights and freedoms”including that of demonstrating.

The association then responded at length, point by point, on its site, to the criticisms of the Minister of the Interior. Regarding the call to demonstrate in Sainte-Soline, she rectifies: “At the local level, autonomously, as the statutes of the LDH provide, two sections of the LDH supported the rallies planned for March 24-26 before the bans on demonstrations were taken and the Poitou-Poitou regional committee Charentes then called for mobilization, without calling for demonstrations, specifying that an LDH stand would be held in Melle, the place of a declared rally which was not banned.

With regard to the recourse on the transport of weapons, the LDH explains that it “in fact, lodged an appeal in principle for interim relief against the decrees issued by the prefect of Deux-Sèvres and the prefect of Vienne providing for the prohibition of ‘weapons by destination’. The LDH contested the definition chosen, which disregarded the case law of the Constitutional Council refusing the a priori extension of the notion of weapon to any object that can be used as a projectile”, details the association. And to add: “In the limited context which is his, the judge in chambers did not grant this request from the LDH, but the latter seized the administrative court on the merits.”

On funding, Patrick Baudouin, lawyer and president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), confirmed on franceinfo that “subsidies from the association”, which “represent roughly 30% of this budget”, “can come from the State or public or territorial communities”. “Our legitimacy is recognized by the State itself. So coming today, by a veiled threat, to question the subsidies granted to us, it is more than surprising”he worried. “Never has the League of Human Rights been questioned in this way. It is unprecedented and appalling on the part of the minister of a country which is still qualified as a democracy”, denounced Patrick Baudouin.

The left opposition flies to the aid of the organization

From the communists to the representatives of EELV, the left opposition quickly flew to the aid of the organization. “This time you are crossing the Rubicon and leaving Republican space for good”notably reprimanded the ecologist deputy Aurélien Taché. “This is how we bend all the checks and balances in authoritarian regimes”added the boss of the PS, Olivier Faure, on Twitter.

“It’s French Trumpism. Attacking the historic association for the defense of human rights? Are we still in the Republic, are we still in democracy?”asked Ugo Bernalicis on franceinfo. “The assault is on, they are freewheeling because they have no political exit on the issue of pensions”estimated the LFI deputy from the North.


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