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Barack Obama: "Limits on State Intervention"
Photo: Jessica Christian / dpa
Former US President Barack Obama has spoken out in the dispute over abortion rights in the United States.
Obama warned against ending abortion rights.
"The consequences of this decision would be a blow not only for women, but for everyone who believes that in a free society there are limits to state interference in our private lives," said the 60-year-old in a statement on Tuesday.
Should the US Supreme Court overturn its 1973 landmark ruling on abortion, it would force people to relinquish any constitutionally recognized interest in what happens to their bodies once they are pregnant.
"Following the logic of the court, state legislatures could mandate that women carry every pregnancy to term, regardless of how early it is or the circumstances that led to it, even rape or incest," Obama said.
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It is unlikely that such a decision would significantly reduce the number of abortions.
Better access to contraceptives and education are largely responsible for the fact that the number is falling.
A ban would make pregnant women "desperate to seek illegal abortion, which inevitably poses serious risks to their health, their future ability to bear children, and sometimes their lives," Obama said.
The background to this is the draft of the reasoning for the judgment of the Supreme Court, which is available to the magazine »Politico«.
According to this draft, as Roe v.
Wade's famous 1973 landmark ruling should be overturned.
The Supreme Court has confirmed the authenticity of the document.
At the same time, he emphasized that this was not a final decision.
Like US President Joe Biden, Obama also spoke out in favor of enshrining the right to abortion in federal law.
With the current majorities in the Senate, however, Biden's Democrats cannot easily pass such a law.
Heartbeat anti-abortion law signed in Oklahoma
Meanwhile, the governor of the US state of Oklahoma signed legislation to drastically tighten abortion regulations.
Governor Kevin Stitt wrote on Twitter on Tuesday that the four million people in his state are overwhelmingly in favor of protecting unborn life.
Oklahoma's "heartbeat law" resembles a highly controversial law from the state of Texas.
It bans abortions once a doctor can determine the heartbeat of an embryo or fetus.
This can be after around six weeks if some women do not yet know that they are pregnant.
The law also allows civil lawsuits against those who perform or knowingly assist women in having an abortion.
Gov. Stitt signed legislation last month that would make performing an abortion in Oklahoma punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000.
Exceptions should only apply if the life of the expectant mother is in acute danger due to the pregnancy.
The proposed penalties do not threaten the pregnant women, but the medical staff who perform abortions.
According to US media reports, critics are taking legal action against both laws in Oklahoma.
mfh/dpa
