UN Experts Raise Alarm Over Arrests of Farmers, Union Leaders in France

(MENAFN) UN experts on Monday voiced serious concern over the rising use of police custody and criminal proceedings against farmers and agricultural trade union leaders in France, following the arrest of 52 individuals during peaceful protests in Paris earlier this month.

“We are alarmed by the apparent shift towards criminalising peaceful trade union activities,” the experts said. “Arresting national spokespersons and international peasant leaders for symbolic acts of civil disobedience is a disturbing signal that threatens the right of peasants to voice grievances without fear of intimidation or reprisals.”

They warned that the government’s response raises “serious” concerns about disproportionate restrictions on fundamental freedoms, including the rights to peaceful assembly, association, and expression.

The experts noted that on Jan. 7, a group of farmers reportedly broke through police barricades with tractors, leading to physical confrontations but no arrests. In contrast, a non-violent protest one week later resulted in mass arrests and the threat of criminal charges.

Police detained 52 people during a peaceful protest at the Ministry of Agriculture on Jan. 14, over government policies concerning the “lumpy skin disease” outbreak, the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, and support for small-scale farming. Among those arrested were three spokespersons of Confederation Paysanne and representatives of the international peasant movement La Via Campesina, the UN experts noted.

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