French lawyers to sue interior minister over injuries in protest crackdown

Lawyers representing at least 18 people injured during protests across France have announced plans to take legal action against Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, accusing him of responsibility for the use of police weapons that allegedly left demonstrators with life-changing injuries.

The complaint, announced on November 6, will be filed with the Court of Justice of the Republic (CJR), the only French court empowered to hear cases involving sitting government ministers. France has witnessed weeks of high school student blockades and wider public demonstrations, initially sparked by demands for better learning conditions. The movement has since expanded, drawing support from sections of society angered by the police response to student protesters and growing living costs.

Human rights activists have also raised concerns over the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers during the larger demonstrations. "We now believe it is imperative to target the person responsible for these mutilations and massive damage, namely Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez," lawyer Arié Alimi said at a press conference. Alimi said the lawyers intended to challenge the minister over orders authorising the use of weapons that they allege are unsuitable for crowd control and capable of causing severe injuries. "We are collectively bringing a case before the CJR against Mr Laurent Nuñez for the orders he gave to use weapons which he knows to be mutilating," he said, alleging that the weapons were designed for warfare and were not used for crowd control in other European countries.

The lawyers said around 10 of their clients had agreed to sign the collective complaint. The allegations come against the backdrop of mounting injuries during the protests. According to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) count, police blast-ball launchers and grenades have seriously injured at least 20 people, many of them teenagers, since mid-September. The scale of complaints has also prompted internal scrutiny within the police force. As of October 30, police had opened 105 internal investigations into allegations of brutality, according to a source close to the cases. Of these, 52 were linked to the high school student movement, 48 concerned violence during mass demonstrations on October 17 and 18, and five related to incidents reported on October 24.

The legal action adds to growing pressure on French authorities to address allegations of police violence and examine the use of weapons during public demonstrations.