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PARIS: Facebook has stopped a terminally ill French euthanasia activist from broadcasting his own death live.
Alain Cocq, who has suffered from a rare and incurable degenerative disease for 34 years, said he would find another way to spread his death. He has stopped taking food, drink or medicine and says he wants his death seen to help persuade French authorities to lift the ban on physician-assisted suicide.
“While we respect Alain’s decision to draw attention to this important issue, we are preventing live broadcasts on his account based on expert advice that the description of suicide attempts could trigger and promote further self-harm,” Facebook said in a statement. provided to Reuters.
Alain Cocq, 57, in his medical bed where he has been confined for years as a result of a degenerative disease that has no treatment, poses after an interview with Reuters at his home in Dijon, France, on August 19, 2020. REUTERS / Gonzalo Fuentes
Cocq, 57, had said he would broadcast his death live on Facebook from Saturday morning. After Facebook blocked it, it said a new live streaming medium would be established within 24 hours.
“So I finished my last meal … I toast to his health for the last time. The road to liberation begins and believe me I am happy,” Cocq said in a video posted Friday night and filmed from his bed in his house in Dijon, eastern France.
“I have made a decision and I am at peace,” he added.
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He had written to French President Emmanuel Macron, asking that medical professionals be allowed to help in his death. Macron responded by saying that this was not allowed under French law.
Neighbors France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have adopted laws that allow medically assisted death in some cases. But France has resisted that step, partly under pressure from the Catholic Church.
“As I am not above the law, I cannot comply with your request,” Macron said in a letter to Cocq, which Cocq posted on his Facebook page.
“His wish is to request active assistance to die, which is currently not allowed in our country,” Macron said.
