France will send 200 gendarmes and police to ensure the security of the Football World Cup

As part of a “France-Qatar partnership”, voted on by the National Assembly, more than 200 agents will be deployed. The country undertakes not to condemn them to the death penalty in the event of an offence.

A deployment that risks making cringe. More than 200 gendarmes and police officers will be deployed in Qatar, during the Football World Cup, within the framework of an agreementFrance-Qatar partnership», voted on August 4 in the National Assembly.

Cooperation, relayed by our colleagues from Chained Duck a you Point provides for the dispatch of 21 specialized operators from the GIGN, 170 specialists in the fight against drones, 10 demining agents, 10 dog teams and 5 to 8 experts provided by the national division for the fight against hooliganism, such as specify it rapport of LREM MP Amélia Lakrafi. Qatar could also ask for “complementary needs“, particularly in terms of “maritime and port surveillance, cybersecurity, flow management in the metro, equestrian teams in order service…».

The country does not count only on France to organize this World Cup: about fifteen external partners, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, are mentioned.

Officers will be entitled to a ‘fair trial’ for breaches

Deployed police forces will be able to wear their usual uniform and insignia, as well as hold their service weapon. In addition, the agreement provides that French police and gendarmes “enjoy fair trial guaranteesin the event of an infringement in Qatar. The country is also committed to ensuring that the death penalty, “as well as penalties contrary to commitments resulting from international conventions to which France is a party», are in no way applied. Finally, Qatar will cover the transport, food and accommodation costs of the police and gendarmes, as well as “the additional remuneration costs of these agents– a bonus, then.

The cooperation between French and Qatari agents is not new: France has already intervened in support during the 2006 Asian Games, the world handball championships in 2015, cycling in 2016 and athletics in 2019, but also during the Arab Cup of Nations football in 2021.

The agreement has been constantly criticized since it was signed in March 2019 by former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe. Suspected by the British media The Guardian to be responsible for the death of 6,500 workers on the construction sites of the World Cup, Qatar is also accused of human rights violations, in particular against homosexuals and women. According to the Chained Duck, the peacekeepers selected to serve in Qatar will only be men. The FIFA World Cup will take place from November 20 to December 18, 2022.

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