European court agrees to hear appeal against French anti-prostitution law

A sex worker at a protest in April 2016 against the anti-prostitution bill, which later became law. Since then sex workers have exhausted legal recourses against the law in France, but the European Court of Human Rights has agreed to hear their appeal. © Thibault Camus/AP

Sex workers will be able to argue their case against a French law that penalises clients paying for sex before the European Court of Human Rights, which has agreed to hear their appeal.

The court said Thursday it had agreed to rule on an appeal against a 2016 law that made it a crime to pay for sex acts in France.