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For a New Path Forward, Denmark Must Commit to Equality
Life in Denmark has become increasingly difficult for the thousands of Muslim citizens and immigrants in the country. Many new policies ostracize Muslims—and they are illegal.
Still Waiting for an End to Police Discrimination in Spain
Twenty years ago, Rosalind Williams was stopped by police in Spain because she did not look Spanish enough. Unfortunately, ethnic profiling still remains a problem in Spain, as elsewhere in western Europe.
Case Digests: Legal Update on Discrimination
Read summaries of key decisions relating to discrimination, including ethnic profiling, from international and regional courts and tribunals from March 2012 to May 2013.
Rights Groups Denounce Greek Prosecutor's Racist Statement
A statement made by Greece's top prosecutor suggesting that certain ethnic groups are involved in crime is racist and must be retracted, reports the Open Society Justice Initiative.
Fair and Effective Police Stops
This report provides a roadmap for combating ethnic profiling in police work, drawing on reform efforts by five police departments in Spain.
Profiling Minorities: A Study of Stop-and-Search Practices in Paris
Police officers in Paris consistently stop people on the basis of ethnicity and dress rather than on the basis of suspicious individual behavior, according to our study on stop-and-search practices.
Young People, Race and the Police: Finding the Remix
Young people from 14 cities around the world are meeting to share ideas and experiences in the struggle to end discriminatory policing.
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.
France’s New Government Moves Quickly on Discriminatory Police Stops
France’s new prime minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, says his government is planning to introduce a system of “receipts” aimed at tracking police stops that have been found to focus disproportionately on Arab and African youths.
Groundbreaking Lawsuit Challenges Racial Profiling by Police
In the first-ever legal challenge to racial profiling filed with an international human rights tribunal, a coalition of advocacy groups including OSI submitted an application to the UN Human Rights Committee, seeking to halt racial profiling by police.
New Report Tells Spain to "Stop Racism, Not People"
A new report exposes the prevalence of racial profiling in Spain, painting a powerful portrait of the indignities suffered by those who do not "look Spanish" and of the official policies that encourage rather than curtail ethnic profiling.
A Victory in France in the Struggle against Racial Bias in Policing
A ruling from France’s top civil court affirmed that the police are subject to antidiscrimination laws, and set the stage for a change in policing practices.
Case Watch: Justice Sotomayor Highlights Impact of Biased Policing
A Supreme Court justice’s arguments make for powerful reading, given the troubled state of relations between the police and African American communities across the country.
Viewed with Suspicion: Twenty Years after Stephen Lawrence
The Lawrence legacy of police reform isn’t complete. It requires action that recognises the human costs of stop and search—action that finally accounts for those on the receiving end.
Why Police Profiling Is Not Just a New York Problem
In cities across Western Europe, young men of color are subjected to discriminatory police stops, contributing to a profound sense of alienation—not just from the police, but from society at large.
Zeshan Muhammad v. Spain
Ethnic profiling by law enforcement officers continues to be a persistent and pervasive practice throughout Spain, particularly in the context of immigration control.
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.
Living in a Shadow of Perpetual Suspicion
Rizwaan Sabir was treated as a terrorism suspect for downloading a document for his academic research in 2008. His story highlights concerns about how anti-terrorism powers are being used by UK police.
Baton Rape Case Fuels Anger over Racist Policing in France
The sexual assault with a police baton of Theo L., a 22-year-old black Frenchman, has provoked both protests and calls for fundamental reforms in French policing.
Case Watch: Challenging Police Abuse in Spain
A ruling from the European Court of Human Rights has recognized the particular vulnerability of black women in Spain to racial discrimination and abuse.