France is to extend its state of emergency to cover this summer’s European football championships, Prime Minister Manuel Valls announced today.
The move follows warnings from Islamic State that it will directly target Euro 2016, which will be attended by thousands of British and Irish fans.
The state of emergency, which gives authorities special powers to fight terrorism, was introduced all across France following the attacks on Paris in which 130 people were killed on November 13 last year.
It has been given the go-ahead three times since last year and, pending a parliamentary vote which is likely to be a formality, will now be extended for a fourth time.
Mr Valls said: “We will propose the extension for a period of two additional months from the end of May in view of the threat.
“Faced with this threat we need to have these powers, these possibilities, under the control of a judge, under the control of parliament, to allow for the best response to terrorism.”
Mr Valls said it was particularly important that the football championship, which takes place from June 10 to July 10, is covered.
The extension means police will be able to carry out raids with little warning and place suspects under house arrest — all measures that have prompted complaints from civil rights groups.
Muslims in particular have claimed that extra surveillance has increased discrimination against them and led to attacks by far-Right vigilante groups.
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The Council of Europe’s human rights commissioner Nils Muižnieks warned that the state of emergency was a threat to democracy, especially as ethnic profiling was being used. A United Nations human rights committee also released a statement saying the measures placed “excessive and disproportionate” restrictions on key rights.
The Stade de France, France’s showpiece stadium in Paris, was attacked by three suicide bombers during the November attacks.
However, the raiders were unable to get inside before a France v Germany international match taking place at the time — instead detonating their devices outside and killing only themselves and a minibus driver.
