France state of emergency declared for 3 months, allowing authorities to shut down websites and giving police sweeping new powers

Police in France have been given huge new powers including the ability to put people under house arrest without trial and to block websites.

Such a decision gives the police powers including the ability to keep people in their homes without trial, searching the homes of people without a warrant from a judge, and the power to block any website that is deemed a problem.

Rights groups have worried that the decision could become permanent, allowing for the extension of authorities' powers into normal life. But the French government said that such powers were necessary.

"This is the fast response of a democracy faced with barbarism. This is the effective legal response in the face of an ideology of chaos," Prime Minister Emmanuel Valls told parliament.

Under the state of emergency, police have the power to conduct searches without getting judicial warrants, though they cannot search the homes and offices of parliamentarians, journalists or lawyers.

The new measures mean anyone suspected of posing a threat to security can be placed under house arrest for 12 hours a day to restrict their movement. Even if the house arrest is lifted, suspects can be prevented from meeting others deemed a threat.

Electronic tagging can also be used to ensure suspects under house arrest who are particularly dangerous remain confined.

The authorities have the power to block Internet sites deemed to incite or advocate "acts of terrorism", public demonstrations are banned and groups inciting acts that could seriously affect public order can be dissolved.

Rights campaign group Amnesty International said the emergency measures must not become permanent fixtures.

Source:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/france-state-of-emergency-declared-for-three-months-allowing-authorities-to-shut-down-websites-and-a6740886.html