France, July 11 -- French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday declared July 12 a French day of national commemoration for Alfred Dreyfus, a French army captain wrongly convicted of treason in 1894 in a notorious act of antisemitism.

"From now on, there will be a commemoration ceremony every July 12 for Dreyfus, for the victory of justice and the truth against hatred and antisemitism," Macron said in a statement published by his office, 90 years after Dreyfus' death.

The first such day would be celebrated in 2026, the 120th anniversary of France's highest appeals court recognising Dreyfus's innocence, Macron said.

France needed to remain vigilant in the face of the "ancient spectre" of antisemitism, he said.

The scandal began in 1894...