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Barbiturate trafficking: ten pro-euthanasia activists arrested

2021-01-12T14:38:04.423Z


These arrests took place as part of a judicial investigation opened last year by the Paris prosecutor's office.


Ten pro-euthanasia activists were arrested by the gendarmerie this Tuesday morning throughout France, reports Europe 1. These arrests took place within the framework of a judicial investigation, opened last year by the Paris prosecutor's office, for trafficking Pentobarbital, a powerful anesthetic banned in France since 1996 but used for assisted suicide, specify our colleagues.

Read also: Drugs: home delivery on the rise

Manufactured by a Danish laboratory which holds an exclusive production license in the United States, Pentobarbital is used by veterinarians to euthanize animals but is sometimes hijacked by people wishing to end their lives.

It is used in Belgium and Switzerland, which, unlike France, have legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide respectively.

It is also sometimes used for injections of death row inmates in the United States.

A judicial source confirms to

Figaro

"

the placement in police custody on rogatory commission today of ten people

", following the investigation opened by the heads of importation, detention, acquisition, in particular on a telecommunications network, and illegal use of substances classified as psychotropic, importation of dangerous goods for public health, illegal exercise of the profession of pharmacist and propaganda or complicity in propaganda in favor of products allowing suicide.

Searches were still in progress at midday.

The suspects are said to be part of the same association

According to

Europe 1

, the suspects are between 60 and 80 years old and have exercised intellectual and medical professions.

They also campaign for the right to choose one's death within the Ultime Liberté association.

This

"international association for the legalization of assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia"

created in 2009, according to its website.

Based in Chaumont (Haute-Marne) with branches spread over French territory, the association claims nearly 3,000 members.

Contacted by

Le Figaro

, Ultime Liberté confirms that "

the president and the secretary general of the association have been placed in police custody

".

The suspects are suspected of having helped other members - mainly elderly people or people suffering from serious pathologies - to obtain lethal doses of barbiturate by providing them with an encrypted email address, details

Europe 1

.

This address allowed them to order bottles in the United States.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-01-12

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