Belgium to legalise euthanasia

One year after the Netherlands legalised the practice of euthanasia, Belgium is to follow suit.

The practice of voluntary termination of life, euthanasia, is expected to be legalised by the Belgian Parliament today. The practice will be strictly regulated and will be restricted to hospitals designated by the authorities which specialise in palliative medicine.

Last October, the Belgian senate gave the go-ahead for the discussion of the law in Parliament, which has raised strong criticism from the Catholic Church, which maintains that the duty of every human being is to preserve human life, not destroy it.

However, opinion polls show that 72% of Belgians are in favour of euthanasia under certain conditions.

Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY PRAVDA.Ru