Cruel tests on 27,000 rodents will not be banned... for now
Opposing four representatives from the ministry, the Paris Tribunal ruled against us. But this is only the first step: we will continue to fight for these animals.
Last Saturday, we faced the Ministry of Research before the Paris Tribunal magistrates with the help of the Géo Avocats [legal] team, who, alongside us, are very committed to animals who are victims of laboratories. We were requesting the suspension of a ‘severe’ experimentation project on tens of thousands of mice, rats, and gerbils. After more than twenty-five years spent fighting against animal testing, a defeat such as this one will not stop One Voice.
According to the Tribunal, none of our arguments “were likely to cause serious doubt as to the legality” of the project we were fighting. However, the Ministry was happy to play on words and spout grand claims without providing any evidence. Therefore, the project will not be suspended, and we will have to wait for the substantive ruling in the hope that it will be banned.
Four public agents defending the industry
We knew beforehand that the fight would be difficult: a court has never had to rule on the cancellation of an animal testing project. The four representatives from the Ministry of Research did not hesitate in pointing this out several times at the start of the hearing.
They then calmly explained that the horrors endured by the animals in the project we were fighting were “necessary” and that everything was done to make it the least painful as possible. We are talking about electric shocks in rodents’ eyes and exposing them to very high volume sounds for long enough to induce epileptic seizures.
“Hope never to see you again! ”
These animals, hidden in laboratories, are too often forgotten about and left to their own devices, while some of them, such as those that were used in this project, endure unimaginable suffering. We will not forget about them – and we will continue to fight for them.
At the end of the hearing, the Ministry representatives addressed us with a big smile, saying they hope never to see us again. They can keep hoping.
Going further
Discover the different types of research and the levels of suffering of these animals in laboratories by consulting our site dedicated to the analysis of ministerial data.
Translated from the French by Joely Justice