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Richard Drew / AP
Frenchman Alain Cocq, who suffers from a long-lasting and incurable degenerative disease, had planned to show what he hopes will be a painful end to his life, but Facebook said it blocked his live broadcasts.
Facebook has blocked live broadcasts of a bedridden man with a chronic illness who appealed to French President Emmanuel Macron for a doctor-assisted death and wanted to show what he hopes will be a painful end to his life after announcing he was going. to stop everything. food and drink.
Bedridden, Alain Cocq posted a video of himself Friday after taking what he said would be his last liquid meal.
“I know that the days ahead are going to be very difficult,” he said. “But I have made my decision and I am serene.”
In a letter this week, also published by Cocq, Macron said French law prohibited him from granting his request for the “right to leave with dignity”, with a doctor-assisted death.
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“With emotion, I respect his approach because it speaks to the very intimate relationship that each of us builds with the end of our life and our death,” Macron said in the letter dated Thursday, sent after one of his aides spoke at length. with Cocq by phone in August.
But Macron added that “because I am not above the law, I am not in a position to grant his request.”
Thibault Camus / AP
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that French law prohibited him from granting Cocq’s request for a physician-assisted death.
In a handwritten addition at the end, Macron signed the letter with the words: “With all my personal support and my deep respect.”
French media reported that Cocq, a 57-year-old former plumber, suffers from a long-lasting and incurable degenerative disease. He says that he has lived in great pain for 34 years and that after multiple operations he prefers to die. In his Facebook post Friday night, he said the alternative would be “the degradation of my body.”
“I’m going to stop hydrating when I turn off the lights,” he said. “Given my general condition, it’s likely to be quick, which is what I hope, because I’m not a masochist.”
He said that he would continue taking painkillers.
Julien de Rosa / AP
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “moved” by the letter, but could not grant the request because “it was not situated above the law.”
“The path to my liberation is beginning and believe me, I am happy about that,” he said. “To those I will never see again, I say goodbye. This is life.”
Cocq had planned to subsequently broadcast live the end of his life which he hopes will occur within days of his decision to discontinue all food, fluids and medications. But a message on Saturday on Cocq’s account said that Facebook had prevented him from posting videos until Tuesday.
Facebook confirmed that it had blocked Cocq’s live broadcasts.
“Our hearts go out to Alain Cocq and those who are affected by this sad situation,” he said in a statement. “While we respect his decision to draw attention to this complex and difficult subject, based on expert guidance, we have taken steps to prevent Alain from broadcasting live, as we do not allow the depiction of suicide attempts.”
