February 17, 2017.
The National Assembly voted definitively, Thursday, February 16, the text which sets up the offense of digital obstruction to abortion. This is to sanction the fact of preventing or attempting to prevent an abortion on the Internet.
Two years’ imprisonment and a € 30,000 fine
Preventing or attempting to prevent abortion has been an offense since 1993. It was created to prevent anti-abortion activists from blocking access to health facilities or by threatening staff or women. who wanted to abort. The government saw fit to extend this offense of obstructing the Internet, because it is today on the web that everything happens. Many “pro life” sites advise women to keep their babies. It will no longer be possible.
The law, passed definitively on January 16, punishesa sentence of up to two years imprisonment and a fine of € 30,000 anyone who tries to dissuade or give false information to a pregnant woman who obtains information on the Internet. “ Victims now have the possibility to turn against these platforms which advance in masks, if they feel they have been mistaken. », Adds Catherine Coutelle, rapporteur for the bill, on LCI.
An attack on freedom of expression?
But the text did not achieve consensus in Parliament. The Republican group notably considered that it wore “ infringement of freedom of expression »And announced filing an appeal with the Constitutional Council. ” Anti-abortion activists will remain free to express their hostility to abortion “, Tried to temper the Minister for Families, Children and Women’s Rights, Laurence Rossignol. “ As long as you sincerely say who they are, what they do and what they want. “
The government criticized certain Internet sites for passing for official sites even though they provided clearly anti-abortion information. But according to Republican Christian Kert, this law which threatens “ freedom of thought ” and ” sets up real government censorship “. It will be up to the Constitutional Council to decide. The file does not appear to be closed.
Marine Rondot.
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