APE RIGHTS

The Spanish Parliament’s move to grant rights previously reserved for human beings to chimpanzees and other apes is a victory for those seeking to minimize the uniqueness of humanity, a bioethics specialist says. An environmental committee in Spain’s legislature approved a resolution on 5/25/08 calling for the government to abide by the Great Apes Project, a 15-year-old campaign to grant the right to life, freedom and no torture to chimps, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos. The measure has the support of a majority of Parliament and is expected to become law, according to Reuters News Service.

(BP News 7/1/08)