The founding father of Dignitas, the Switzerland-based assisted suicide clinic, has died aged 92, in response to the organisation.
Ludwig Minelli, lawyer and former journalist, died on 29 November shortly earlier than his 93rd birthday.
Mr Minelli lived a life “for freedom of choice, self-determination, and human rights”, stated Dignitas in a tribute.
He based the organisation in 1998 with “a group of like-minded people”.
“At that time, he and his fellow compatriots would never have thought that this association was about to become an internationally active organisation,” stated the tribute.
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‘He died like he lived, with dignity’
It described Mr Minelli’s perception that attempting to “talk someone out of suicide is not a suitable prevention method”.
“Rather, the approach should be taking a person in a seemingly hopeless situation seriously, meeting them at eye level, and showing them all possible options to alleviate their suffering.”
These choices ought to embrace “the possibility of ending their own life with professional support, safely and in a self-determined way in a setting that he or she personally deems dignified”, it stated, including {that a} very small quantity of people that strategy Dignitas find yourself selecting assisted suicide.
“It is up to the individual to decide which option to choose,” stated the tribute.
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For and in opposition to assisted dying
The Dignitas group stated Mr Minelli had “planned succession for a seamless transition” and the organisation would proceed its “professional and combative” work.
Though Switzerland has allowed assisted dying since 1942 – supplied the motive will not be “selfish” – Dignitas grew to become well-known because it permits non-Swiss individuals to make use of its clinics.
Regardless of assisted suicide nonetheless being unlawful within the UK, individuals from Nice Britain make up the second largest group of Dignitas members, in response to the group’s statistics.
Final 12 months, 37 individuals travelled from Nice Britain to die at a Swiss Dignitas clinic.
Those that accompany their family members to the clinics will be charged with assisted suicide, though earlier this 12 months, police stated a widow who accompanied her husband would not face costs.
“Whilst [the CPS] concluded the evidential test had been met regarding assisted suicide, it was decided not to be in the public interest to prosecute,” stated North Yorkshire Police in a press release on the time.
