On 10 September 1977, at the Baumettes Prison in Marseille, Hamida Djandoubi became the last person to face execution by guillotine in France, following his conviction for the brutal crimes of torture and murder.
It marks the final use of the guillotine in France.
His execution is notable for being the last time this method of capital punishment was used in France, as the death penalty itself was abolished in the country in 1981 under President François Mitterrand’s government.
The case remains a significant part of French history, symbolising the end of an era for the controversial method of execution, which had been in use since the French Revolution.
