Marco Perolini

Rights group Amnesty International accused France yesterday of using emergency powers to fight terrorism as a pretext for clamping down on peaceful protests, including over sensitive environmental and labor issues.

One of the main problems pointed out in the Amnesty International report, published on Monday, was the inadequate prosecution of hate crimes in the country.

Among the groups suffering from prejudice who later become crime victims are asylum seekers, migrants, Muslims and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.