Basel-Stadt, one of 26 cantons in Switzerland, is considering granting fundamental rights to life to non-human primates following a court ruling allowing a referendum on the issue to be held.
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An animal rights group fighting species discrimination, Sentience Politics, is behind the initiative.
In 2016, the think-tank presented its proposal which aims to guarantee the fundamental rights to life, and to mental and physical integrity, for chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos — the animals that form non-human primates. After its launch, the group managed to get 3,000 signatures — the exact number needed to initiate a referendum in Basel-Stadt.
