“We are happy to be able to communicate that today there are more than 500,000 people who have signed the referendum for the legalization of euthanasia, according to the figures communicated to the Organizing Committee by the signature collection groups at the tables (430,000 signatures), to which in addition there are over 70,000 signatures collected online and an as yet unknown number of signatures collected in the municipalities ». The promoters of the referendum affirm this in a note. “Let’s go ahead to ensure the result is safe from errors and obstacles, towards the 750,000 signatures”.
37 years after the filing of the first bill on euthanasia, first signed by Loris Fortuna, “the referendum is the tool to abrogate the criminalization of the so-called ‘murder of the consenting person’ (article 579 of the criminal code) and thus remove the obstacles to legalization of euthanasia also with active intervention by the doctor at the request of the patient, on the model of Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Spain, following the principles already established also by the German Constitutional Court ». If in the meantime, the note continues, “Parliament will have the strength to approve a law (such as the one now held by the Commission in the Chamber) that decriminalizes the so-called ‘suicide aid’ (article 580 of the criminal code), following the ruling of the Council , certainly it will be a positive step forward to prevent obstruction, but the usefulness of the referendum on art. 579 “.
“Parallel to the referendum road, which continues with the collection of other hundreds of thousands of signatures”, the note closes, “as the Luca Coscioni Association we also continue with direct help to the people who come to us through the ‘white number on the end of life ‘(06 9931 3409, free number active from Monday to Friday from 9 to 17). In cases where it will be necessary with Mina Welby and Gustavo Fraticelli we are ready to resort to civil disobedience to affirm the fundamental right to self-determination of patients in conditions of unbearable suffering and irreversible disease ».