Why is Jean-Bernard Fourtillan, 77, now interned at the psychiatric hospital in Uzès, in the Gard? A retired former pharmacist and anti-vaccine activist, he recently appeared in the documentary Hold-Up where he said in particular that the coronavirus had been “manufactured by the Pasteur Institute“? False information verified by AFP and denied by the Institute, which filed a complaint against X for defamation.

To read also: “Hold-up”: the main false information of this documentary

Unauthorized clinical trials

But a year before the burning news of the covid, Jean-Bernard Fourtillan was already in the sights of justice, for having carried out unauthorized clinical trials with Professor Henri Joyeux within the “Josefa Fund”. These tests, carried out in the Abbey of Saint-Croix near Poitiers, were carried out on at least 350 patients with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or suffering from sleep disorders.

As part of this case, Professors Fourtilan and Joyeux are the subject of prosecution by the Order of Physicians for charlatanism. And it is in this context that Jean-Bernard Fourtillan was arrested on December 7 and remanded in custody at the Nîmes remand center. Then, the medical examination that was carried out concluded that there was a need for medical treatment, in psychiatry, at the Mas Careison hospital, from December 10.

An “abusive internment”, according to his supporters

If justice ensures that this decision is justified by “medical reasons“, the supporters of Jean-Bernard Fourtillan denounce an internment”against his will“, intended to silence him, especially for his anti-vaccine positions and his recent comments about the coronavirus. On social networks, they therefore call for” rescue “the professor. Since then, the Uzès hospital center has been harassed by the supporters from the former pharmacist.

Asked by the Free noon, Doctor Jean-Philippe Labrèze, naturopath and close to Professor Fourtillan, expresses his anger against “this abusive internment which is a clear violation of public freedoms“. He was starting a rally on Saturday December 12 in front of the gates of the psychiatric hospital.

“SDRE”, the former “compulsory hospitalization”

But is this internment actually a violation of freedoms? The public prosecutor of Nîmes assures France 3 Occitanie that Jean-Bernard Fourtillan is “informed of his rights“and”can appeal against the administrative decision before the judge of freedoms and detention“.

This procedure is in fact legally regulated and corresponds to a protocol of “admission to psychiatric care by decision of the State representative” (SDRE), formerly called “compulsory hospitalization”. It relates to “people whose mental disorders require treatment and compromise the safety of persons or seriously undermine public order“, specifies a document from the Paris Hospitals Public Assistance Department of Legal Affairs (AP-HP).

Soon received in audience

After a 72-hour observation period in the form of full hospitalization, the physicians of the person with ERDS have two choices: keep the patient in full hospitalization, or refer him to a care program.

In the case of Jean-Bernard Fourtillan, unless the hospitalization measure for medical or administrative reasons is lifted in the coming days, “he will be received in court by a judge with obligatorily the assistance of a lawyer “, finally specifies the public prosecutor of Nîmes.