France’s last guillotine execution only 40 years ago
France’s last guillotine execution only 40 years ago Forty years ago this week, France conducted its last execution by guillotine. A handsome Tunisian immigrant named Hamida Djandoubi was led to a bladed contraption and his head placed in the stock before the blade dropped quickly and ended his life THEprisoner in the Marseilles’ Baumettes jail was roused from his dozing state and told it was time to get ready. His guards waited while he put on his artificial leg before escorting him from his prison cell. Although he was being taken to his execution, the handsome, neatly coiffured, dark-skinned man named Hamida Djandoubi was calm and smoked a cigarette offered by one of the guards At one stage he complained that his handcuffs were too tight and they were removed. He smoked another cigarette and was offered a drink of rum. But when he asked for another cigarette to buy more time, he was refused He was led to a courtyard where a bladed contraption stood with a wicker basket ben...