Coercive Suicide? Targeting Those With Disabilities For Euthanasia

Euthanasia, the deliberate medical industry killing of victims, has become more and more common around the world in recent years. In Canada, it's routinely offered, instead of medical treatment, to people with nothing more than depression. In the United States, more and more state legislatures are adopting the "assisted suicide" schemes that kill residents.

But it is one scheme, in France, that has actually alarmed even the progressives at the United Nations.

There, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has told the French government to respond to serious concerns about its "radical" plan authorizing and promoting euthanasia and assisted suicide.

According to a report from the American Center for Law and Justice, whose affiliate, the European Centre for Law and Justice alerted the U.N. about problems, said the bill "seems to target persons with disabilities, and coerces religious clinics and retirement homes to comply or face punishment."

The French plan already has been endorsed by Emmanuel Macron and been adopted in the National Assembly. He awaits confirmation in the French Senate.

"First, as a matter of principle, it violates the prohibition on killing and describes euthanasia and assisted suicide as forms of so-called 'medical care,' deceptively framed as merely offering 'aid in dying.' Even more alarming, it uses a subjective criteria of suffering, including individuals with mental illness and disabilities," the ACLJ warned.

"The proposed euthanasia procedure could occur in a shockingly quick turnaround - carried out within a week - based solely on the decision of a single physician without any judicial oversight. Families would not be allowed to oppose the killing of their loved one, and compliance with the policy would only be reviewed a posteriori, or after the patient's death," the pro-life organization said.

"Extremely disturbing is that medical and social institutions -- including religious clinics and retirement homes -- would be forced to permit euthanasia on their premises, while pharmacists would be legally required to supply the lethal drugs used. The bill even creates a new crime of obstruction, punishable with up to two years in prison and fines of €30,000, effectively criminalizing any attempt to prevent or question an assisted suicide."

The ECLJ now is challenging the plan under international law, specifically the U.N. Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

That 2006 treaty sets out the rights of the disabled, and countries are legal bound to follow, if they've adopted it.

The ECLJ has informed the U.N. of the human rights violations embedded in France's agenda, and as a result, the U.N. told France of the "credible information indicating that if the above-mentioned piece of legislation is approved, it would result in an infringement of the duty of the state party to respect, protect and guarantee the right to life of persons with disabilities."

Among the concerns is the U.N.'s perception that "proposed eligibility criteria . . . appear to be based in ableist perceptions of the quality and value of the life of persons with disabilities.":

The ACLJ explained, "In fact, under the proposed law, a disability alone could be sufficient grounds for euthanasia or assisted suicide, if the person suffers physically or psychologically. This refers to what the U.N. CRPD calls 'ableist.' It also raised concerns about the lack of 'alternatives to assisted dying,' the creation of a new felony of obstructing assisted suicide, and the very short mandatory cooling-off period of only two days before euthanasia or assisted suicide can be performed.":

France has been trying to delay a response, which now isn't expected until the end of the month.

"It is extremely unusual for a U.N. Committee to intervene during a national legislative process, but in this case, it is fully justified given the dangerous nature of the bill. We must never forget that the U.N. was founded in response to the horrific crimes of Nazi Germany, including the state-sanctioned euthanasia of the innocent," the ACLJ warned.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states euthanasia is always a crime and can never be justified.

Originally published at WND News Center