Man Prevented From Livestreaming Final Days On Facebook
ANDERSON: A Frenchman suffering from a chronic, painful, incurable disease is calling on the French government to make death more democratic after unsuccessful lobbying President Emmanuel Macron for the right to active euthanasia, the man decided to broadcast his final days to draw attention to French laws unassisted suicide. Now Facebook has blocked his live stream, saying it wants to avoid promoting self-harm. Melissa Bell joins me now from Paris. This is a remarkable story, Melissa. What else do we know at this point?</s>MELISSA BELL, CNN PARIS CORRESPONDENT: It is remarkable, Becky, not because this is the first time that someone in this kind of condition has tried to draw attention to France's fairly strict laws on matters of euthanasia or assisted suicide. But because it is the first time that someone had hoped to use the reach of Facebook to try and bring what those tight laws mean for people like him in the final few days of their life.</s>ALAIN COCQ, TERMINALY ILL PATIENT: I have taken my decision and I'm at peace. I understand that this can surprise you, but since taking my decision and the closer to September the 4th I get, the more I feel serenity.</s>BELL: On Saturday, Facebook stopped the feed saying in a statement that the depiction of suicide attempts could be triggering and promote more self harm. Euthanasia is legal in France, lesser person's death is imminent. Back in July, Alain Cocq wrote to Emmanuel Macron asking to be allowed to die with dignity. But the French President replied that even though he was moved by Cocq's plight, he could not intervene because he was not above the law. Jean-Luc Romero who wants the law changed says, he is surprised that Facebook acted so swiftly in this case.</s>JEAN-LUC ROMERO-MICHEL, PRESIDENT, ASSOCIATION FOR THE RIGHT TO DIE WITH DIGNITY: Here we have a man who is just going to let himself die with no spectacular gesture and Facebook decides to suspend? But why are they so lax when it comes to acting against racism and homophobia and here so violent with a man who just wants to show the situation in which the government has pushed him.</s>BELL: Facebook declined to comment on Jean-Luc Romero's allegation. On his Facebook page now deprived of a live feed, Cocq expressed his anger of not being able to share with the world the pain of his last few days. Why campaigners for a change in French law say Becky as the vast majority of the French population are in favor of such a change. And that it is time that France catch up with some of its neighbor's places like Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg which do have very different laws in terms of Euthanasia and assisted suicide.</s>ANDERSON: What do we know about his health tonight, Melissa?</s>BELL: Well, basically, Becky, we know that he stopped on Friday night before going to bed, one of his medications, any water, any food, and that, he told a friend last night, has been the most difficult, not being able to drink as he faces this suffering. He describes the suffering that his condition causes is really tremendous. He is, we understand, continuing to take some morphine to help see him through the pain of the last few days, but he wasn't sure himself just how long it would take him to die, Becky.</s>ANDERSON: This story in Paris. Thank you. We'll take a very short break back after this.