France, July 12 -- It fell on the 120th anniversary of France's highest appeals court recognising Dreyfus's innocence on 12 July 1906.

Macron declared the date a national day of commemoration last year in honour of "the victory of justice and the truth against hatred and antisemitism".

He led a ceremony near the courthouse in Paris on Sunday that was also attended by Dreyfus's grandson Charles, aged 99 and one of the few people still living who knew the officer personally.

Macron said the commemorations would also honour those who came to Dreyfus's defence. Their quest for the truth "reminds us that antisemitism, whatever its roots or supposed explanations, is the enemy of the Republic", he said in his speech.

"Yet we know that the ol...