The Human Rights League has taken legal action against Carcassonne Mayor Christophe Barthès over a municipal decree banning indecent clothing on public streets.
The human rights organization issued a press release on Tuesday, August 11, denouncing the order enacted by the town hall and its National Rally mayor. The organization stated that it has referred the matter to the administrative court to challenge the rule enforcing public attire standards.
Municipal Attire Restrictions and Legal Challenge
The municipal decree came into force on July 2, 2026, and applies through October 21, 2026, with source records also citing an effective date of July 1. Under the order, individuals are forbidden from walking shirtless or in swimwear through the streets of Carcassonne. Citizens are required to wear decent attire in public spaces or face fines.
The Human Rights League announced that it is contesting the decree through an application for annulment alongside an urgent request for a stay of execution. This procedure allows the effects of a contested administrative decision to be suspended pending judgment on the merits, provided there is urgency and serious doubt regarding the legality of the act.
Arguments Over Public Morality and Police Authority
Regarding the legality of the ban, the association noted that the French Penal Code contains no national prohibition against walking in a swimsuit, outlawing only sexual exposure. The Carcassonne town hall justified the order as a measure to preserve public peace, morality, and commonly accepted limits of decency. However, the rights group argued that the sole argument of morality or immorality of an outfit cannot be accepted as a local circumstance.
The rights group stated that the use of generic and imprecise terms makes the decree an illegal administrative police measure by exposing citizens to arbitrary enforcement. Because French law does not define decent attire, the rule relies on subjective moral judgments, granting law enforcement excessive powers of interpretation. The group warned that the rule could extend to crop tops or other garments deemed indecent, highlighting sexism as women disproportionately face comments about their bodies and clothing.
Controversies Surrounding Mayor Christophe Barthès
When contacted by newspaper La Dépêche, Carcassonne town hall declined to comment or provide additional information regarding the decree. The legal challenge adds to multiple controversies involving Christophe Barthès during his five months in office following his election last March.
During his tenure, the National Rally mayor, whom critics have referred to as the Occitan Trump, removed the European flag from the town hall facade and enacted an anti-begging decree. In another incident, Barthès used a garden hose to spray union activists from the town hall balcony after they opposed their expulsion from municipal premises.
Broader Local Disputes and Security Issues
The town hall has been involved in several other local disputes. An administrative court previously declined to suspend the mayor anti-begging order. Barthès also staged an appearance with a trowel and float to declare that squatters were finished, and engaged in a dispute with Carcassonne Agglo over illegal encampments of Traveling people while calling for the seizure of caravans.
In international matters, Barthès refused to provide a municipal room for Algerian parliamentary elections, describing his decision as an assumed political choice. Security concerns have also risen following a drug-related shooting that left one person dead and four injured in Carcassonne. The shooting was linked to DZ Mafia NG, a new ultraviolent branch of a criminal organization, prompting the mayor to request police reinforcements from the Minister of the Interior.
