Search results
A Legal Victory in the Drive to End Racist Police Tactics Ethnic Profiling
Mohamad Wa Baile, a Swiss citizen, complained to the European Court of Human Rights that he had been subjected to a discriminatory stop by police in Switzerland. The court ruled in his favor, marking a step forward in the drive to eliminate racially-biased policing in Europe.
Wa Baile v. Switzerland
Mohamed Wa Baile claimed to have been subjected to ethnic profiling in 2015, when he was stopped by police officers in a train station in Zurich and told to identify himself. In 2018, Wa Baile complained to the European Court of Human Rights,which found in his favor in February, 2024.
European Court of Human Rights Condemns Racist Policing
The European Court of Human Rights has found that police in the Swiss city of Zurich engaged in ethnic profiling, in an identity check stop carried out on Mohamed Wa Baile, a Swiss citizen, at the city’s’ train station in 2015.
Top French Court Recognizes Police Discrimination but Declines to Act
France's top administrative court says it lacks the power to order government action to end police stops that unfairly target young people of color.
After a Summer of Unrest, French Police Tactics Face Court Scrutiny
A complaint before France’s highest court accuses the police of systematically singling out young people of color for abusive ID checks and body searches.
A Divided ECtHR Fails Victims of Discriminatory ID Checks In Spain, Argue Human Rights Groups
SOS Racisme Catalunya, the Open Society Justice Initiative, and Rights International Spain are deeply concerned about a decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Zeshan Muhammed v Spain which found that there was no violation of the prohibition of discrimination.
Class Action Lawsuit against French Government for Ethnic Profiling by Police
The Justice Initiative, along with partner NGOs, filed the first class action lawsuit in France to end ethnic profiling by police, who disproportionately target people based on their skin color or presumed ethnic origin.
A Class Action Lawsuit in France Challenges Racist Police Tactics
Civil society organizations including the Open Society Justice Initiative are seeking systemic changes from France’s Council of State.
Why We Are Going to Court to Fight Racist French Police Tactics
Two French activists are demanding systematic action to address deep-rooted patterns of ethnic profiling in police stops.
Ending Ethnic Profiling to Keep Our Communities Safe
A new guide shows how to build creative campaigns and community power to finally put an end to ethnic profiling by police in Europe.
Challenging Ethnic Profiling in Europe: A Guide for Campaigners and Organizers
This guide provides an international overview of how to challenge and end ethnic profiling, distilling key lessons and strategic insights learned from over a decade of work on the ground.
Justice Initiative Joins Groups in Giving Notice of Class Action Lawsuit against French Government for Ethnic Profiling by Police
The Justice Initiative has joined civil and human rights groups in sending a letter of notice of a class action lawsuit against the French government for police identity checks that perpetuate ongoing and systemic ethnic profiling.
Equality Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Adopts New Resolution on Police Profiling
The Open Society Justice Initiative applauds the adoption of a draft resolution by the Equality Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) calling on all European States to pass laws to ban ethnic profiling.
Case Watch: German Court Sides with Muslim Women Teachers Over Discriminatory Headscarf Ban
A recent judgement by Germany's top labor court is expected to end a decades old court battle over headscarf bans for teachers.
Ethnic Profiling
We work with police, activists, and community leaders across multiple European countries to document systemic ethnic profiling by police officers and to put a stop to abuses through new frameworks and policies.
Justice Initiative Calls for Immediate Action on Discriminatory COVID-19 Checks in France
The Open Society Justice Initiative has joined more than two dozen organizations in asking French authorities to adopt concrete measures to put an end to racist, discriminatory practices by French law enforcement officers during COVID-19.
COVID-19 Poses a Threat to Justice. We Must Respond.
Read about the Open Society Justice Initiative's global work to respond to the COVID-19 crisis.
What is Ethnic Profiling?
Ethnic profiling takes place when law enforcement targets people not because of what they have done, but who they are. This fact sheet outlines the impact that the discriminatory practice has on people's lives in Europe.
Amid COVID-19 Lockdown, Justice Initiative Calls for End to Excessive Police Checks in France
The Open Society Justice Initiative has called on the French government to ensure that police checks carried out during COVID-19 do not use excessive, violent, or discriminatory force.
Q&A: How a System to Document Police Stops Improved Policing in Fuenlabrada, Spain
Police inspector and criminal justice expert David Martín Abánades shares his insights on the implementation of a new system to collect data on police stops in Fuenlabrada, Spain.
