RSF, 13 Journalists File a Criminal Complaint About Police Violence in France

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Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 13 journalists who were subjected to police violence while covering the "yellow vests" protests in France have filed a criminal complaint against the police officers.

Filed to the Public Prosecutor's Office in the capital city of Paris on December 20, the joint complaint has accused the officers with "deliberate violence against media personnel" and "damage to their property".

As indicated by RSF, the plaintiffs have said that "while covering protests in Paris, Lille, Toulouse, La Rochelle and other cities, they were subjected to violence although they were perfectly identifiable as journalists by their helmets and press armbands, did not obstruct the police, were often at some distance from the protesters and in some cases even introduced themselves to the police on arriving at the protest."

AA reporter Yalçın has lost sight in left eye

Among the ones who were injured during the protests was also state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) photojournalist Mustafa Yalçın.

RSF has referred to the injury of Yalçın in following words: "The first day of protests against the government's pension reform plans two weeks ago, on 5 December, was accompanied by an extremely high level of violence against media personnel. One journalist, Anadolu Agency photographer Mustafa Yalçın, was badly injured by a stingball grenade although wearing protective headgear, and will probably lose the use of an eye."

Undergoing a six-hour surgical operation, journalist Mustafa Yalçın has lost vision in his left eye despite all efforts.

'These cases of violence should be punished'

Christophe Deloire, the Secretary General of RSF, has commented on their criminal complaint in following words:

"We are filing this complaint today so that these cases of violence are punished and those responsible are put on trial and convicted, but also to get the authorities to carry out a complete overhaul of the way protests are policed, so that journalists are no longer targeted by police officers responsible for maintaining order.

"The public wants to be informed about protests and journalists have duty to report what is happening on the ground.

"It is therefore unacceptable that they should be the victims of violence by members of the police when they are just doing their job."

54 journalists injured in 6 months

According to the figures shared by RSF, during the first six months of the "yellow vests" protests, the organization registered 54 cases of journalists being injured by police officers, 12 of them seriously.

The issue of police violence against the media during "yellow vests" protests was also raised by RSF on May 3, 2019 with President Emmanuel Macron, who promised that "action would be taken."

However, shortly after he uttered those remarks, Mustafa Yalçın and two other journalists were injured due to police violence on December 5.

Since the Yellow Vests Movement started on November 17, 2018, criminal complaints have been filed against 212 police officers at the Police Disciplinary Board of France (IGPN). While 54 of these complaints have been rejected, an investigation has been filed against 18 officers. Only three police officers have been put on trial and given short-term suspended prison sentence for inflicting violence in a year.

France is ranked 32nd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2019 World Press Freedom Index. (HA/SD)

* Sources: RSF and Voice of America (VoA) Turkish