Washington, Oct 7 A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the US state's highly controversial near-total abortion ban.
District Judge Robert Pitman issued an order on Wednesday to suspend the country's most restrictive abortion state law, which has since September 1 banned abortions after a foetal heartbeat is detected, typically occurring roughly six weeks into pregnancy, reports Xinhua news agency.
"The state has forfeited the right to any such accommodation by pursuing an unprecedented and aggressive scheme to deprive its citizens of a significant and well-established constitutional right," Pitman wrote in his ruling.
Abortion services in Texas may not instantly resume even with the law on hold, an ABC News report said, because doctors still fear they could be sued without a more permanent legal decision.
Local officials swiftly appealed the order to the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which previously allowed the restrictions to take effect.
The Texas law, which was signed into law in May by Republican Governor Greg Abbott, also prohibits most abortions, even in cases of rape, sexual abuse, or incest.
It prohibits any effort to aid, or any intent to aid, the doctors who provide the prohibited abortions or women who try to get one.
The law has unique enforcement provisions allowing private citizens, rather than state officials, to sue abortion providers.
Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in December in Mississippi's bid to overturn 1973's landmark Roe v. Wade decision guaranteeing a woman's right to an abortion.
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