Le physicien Stephen Hawking appelle James Cameron à lever toute culpabilité du mathématicien Alan Turing.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/12/14/stephen-hawking-calls-for-david-cameron-to-pardon-gay-code-breaker-alan-turing/

The scientist Professor Stephen Hawking and the broadcaster Lord Michael Grade have joined other distinguished scientists and peers to call on the Government to pardon Alan Turing.

The gay mathematical genius and codebreaker was the effective inventor of the modern computer and a key driver behind the victory over the Nazis.

He killed himself in 1952, two years after being sentenced to chemical castration.

The letter (found below) calls on David Cameron to initiate a formal pardon for the code breaker. Following questions from PinkNews.co.uk readers in 2010, he promised a Conservative Government would to disregard the criminal records of those convicted of historic gay sex offences. The measure was passed into law in October of this year. However, as those with such criminal records must apply to have their records cleared, it did not apply to Turing’s conviction.

In 2009, after a campaign led by Richard Dawkins, Stephen Fry and Peter Tatchell and supported by PinkNews.co.uk, the then prime minister Gordon Brown issue an apology for Turing’s treatment on behalf of the British government.

Earlier this year Justice Minister Lord McNally said of the prospect of a pardon: “A posthumous pardon was not considered appropriate as Alan Turing was properly convicted of what at the time was a criminal offence. He would have known that his offence was against the law and that he would be prosecuted.

The signatories of the letter include Lord (John) Sharkey, a Lib Dem peer who proposed a private members bill to clear Turing in July.

On croit rêver (ou plutôt se débattre en plein cauchemar) en lisant les propos du Ministre de la Justice britannique.