France Drafts Extension to State of Emergency

Edited by Ivan Martínez
2015-12-04 14:49:05

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Paris, December 4 (RHC)-- Nearly three weeks after the Paris attacks, France has drawn up a draft law to extend state of emergency for up to six months from the current three-month limit. According to reports from Paris, the proposed change to France's constitution says exceptional measures adopted during a state of emergency could be prolonged "for a maximum period of six months" after the expiration of the original state of emergency.

The duration of any state of emergency would still be fixed by law at the time of its introduction, according to the draft law. Meanwhile, unidentified French government sources said that senior parliamentary figures are set to examine the bill, adding that the constitutional reforms will be put to ministers' vote on December 23.

France introduced a state of emergency following the recent horrendous attacks, claimed by the Takfiri Daesh group in the capital city of Paris. On November 13th, assailants struck at least six different venues in and around Paris, leaving 130 people dead and over 350 others wounded.

On November 20th, the French Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favor of the extension of state of emergency for three months, empowering the police to keep people in their homes without trial, search houses without judicial approval and block suspicious websites.

The measures also banned public demonstrations and allowed authorities to dissolve groups inciting acts seriously affecting public order in the country. However, the rules have drawn criticism from rights groups who accuse the French government of abuse of power.



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