Macron declares July 12 annual Dreyfus commemoration day

PARIS

French President Emmanuel Macron has declared July 12 a French day of national commemoration for Alfred Dreyfus, a French army captain wrongly convicted of treason in 1894 in a notorious act of antisemitism.

"From now on, there will be a commemoration ceremony every July 12 for Dreyfus, for the victory of justice and the truth against hatred and antisemitism," Macron said in a statement.

The first such day would be celebrated in 2026, the 120th anniversary of France's highest appeals court recognising Dreyfus's innocence, Macron said.

France needed to remain vigilant in the face of the "ancient spectre" of antisemitism, he said.

The honoring of Dreyfus comes at a time of growing alarm over hate crimes targeting Jews in the country.

Dreyfus was accused in October 1894 of passing secret information on new artillery equipment to a German military attache.

Dreyfus was put on trial amid a virulent antisemitic press campaign. But novelist Emile Zola then penned his famous "J'accuse" ("I accuse...") pamphlet in support of the captain.

Despite a lack of evidence, Dreyfus was convicted of treason, sentenced to life imprisonment in the infamous Devil's Island penal colony in French Guiana and publicly stripped of his rank.

On july 12, 1906, the high court of appeal overturned the original verdict, exonerating Dreyfus.

Last month, parliament approved a bill promoting Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general.

Between January and May this year, 504 antisemitic acts were reported in France.

France is home to the world's largest Jewish population outside Israel and the United States.