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Man finds own amputated leg on cigarette packets without consent | Man finds own amputated leg on cigarette packets without consent |
(32 minutes later) | |
A 60-year-old man in eastern France says he was stunned to discover that a picture of his amputated leg had been used on cigarette packets without his consent. | |
The picture was displayed on EU cigarette packets, alongside the message "smoking clogs your arteries". | The picture was displayed on EU cigarette packets, alongside the message "smoking clogs your arteries". |
But the Albanian man, who lives in Metz, says he lost his leg as the result of a 1997 assault in Albania. | But the Albanian man, who lives in Metz, says he lost his leg as the result of a 1997 assault in Albania. |
His lawyer is contacting the European Commission to find out what happened. | His lawyer is contacting the European Commission to find out what happened. |
His son discovered the picture - which bore recognisable burns and scars - when he bought a packet of rolling tobacco last year in Luxembourg, French media report. | |
He brought the packet home to his family and his father confirmed it was indeed a picture of his leg. | He brought the packet home to his family and his father confirmed it was indeed a picture of his leg. |
But he says he had never agreed to the picture being used. He believes it was taken at a local hospital he visited to find out whether he could be equipped with a prosthetic leg. | But he says he had never agreed to the picture being used. He believes it was taken at a local hospital he visited to find out whether he could be equipped with a prosthetic leg. |
"It's rather incredible that a person finds themselves without their agreement on cigarette packets throughout the European Union," the man's lawyer, Antoine Fittante, said. | |
"My client feels betrayed, wounded in his dignity, by seeing his disability [displayed] on cigarette packets in tobacconists; one must admit that's not very pleasant." | "My client feels betrayed, wounded in his dignity, by seeing his disability [displayed] on cigarette packets in tobacconists; one must admit that's not very pleasant." |
Mr Fittante has written to the hospital, to find out how the photos ended up being used. | |
The European Commission is being approached as it is responsible for the distribution of such images on all EU cigarette packets. | The European Commission is being approached as it is responsible for the distribution of such images on all EU cigarette packets. |
Mr Fittante says the Commission normally uses pictures from a database, which are verified and published with the consent of the person featured. |