French lawyers to sue interior minister over protester ‘mutilations’

French lawyers announced their intention to sue the interior minister on Friday, alleging police brutality during ongoing protests in France. The lawsuit stems from severe injuries sustained by demonstrators, including several hit in the eye. France is facing high-school student blockades and cost-of-living protests in the weeks leading up to presidential elections, with the far right leading in the polls.

Rights activists have accused police of using disproportionate force, following incidents like a 15-year-old losing a hand to a crowd-control grenade. Attorney Arie Alimi, representing at least 18 victims, stated that they will file a complaint with the Court of Justice of the Republic, the only court capable of addressing cases against sitting government members.

Around 10 of their clients have agreed to sign the collective complaint. Alimi expressed concern that the lawsuit may not lead to an investigation, but emphasized the need to prevent further mutilations, especially among children. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez maintains that police acted with the "greatest proportionality" since the beginning of the high-school protest movement.

He acknowledged the use of "intermediate" crowd-control methods like grenades and tear gas as essential for police operations. Since mid-September, at least 20 people, including teenagers, have been seriously injured during protests, with police opening 105 internal investigations, 52 linked to the high school student movement, 48 to mass protests on October 17 and 18, and five to incidents on October 24.