The French government is facing legal action at the European Court of Human Rights after censoring a publicity campaign featuring eighteen people with Down Syndrome.

The group behind the ad, Fondation Jérôme Lejeune had created a short infomercial about the joys and challenges of life with their condition, in order to tackle societal stigma, the organisation which has, for years, set the standard in research and care for people with Down Syndrome, supported the initiative and broadcast the message on several platforms in France. Yet, after a French public authority deemed the video to not be a “message of general interest”, and was “likely to disturb women’ who had abortions  the foundation were prevented from sharing their message on state television.

Fighting the ban, ADF International said it was “proud to support Fondation Jérôme Lejeune in calling out discrimination against people with Down Syndrome. Freedom of speech is the foundation of a democratic society, protected by international human rights law. Why censor somebody for speaking out about their life with a disability? We hope that the court will recognise that these voices are of immensely high value, and make a stand for the rights of persons with disabilities across Europe,” said Jean-Paul Van De Walle, legal counsel for ADF International.