Dignitas founder, 92, ends his life days before his birthday at one of his own assisted dying clinics
Dignitas founder Ludwig Minelli ended his life at one of his own assisted dying clinics at the age of 92, just a few days before his birthday.
The non-profit Swiss clinic announced that the human rights lawyer ‘chose to end his life’ on November 29.
In the four-page tribute, Dignitas said it ‘unwaveringly defends its beliefs when it comes to the protection of fundamental rights and the freedom of citizens’.
Minelli founded the clinic in 1998 to help terminally and chronically ill patients die ‘with dignity’.
The clinic’s motto is: ‘Live with dignity, die with dignity.’
‘To the end of his life, he continued to seek, and often found, other ways to help people exercise their right to freedom of choice and self-determination in their ‘ultimate matters,” Dignitas said.
By 2024, the organization has helped more than 4,000 people end their lives.
In 2023, he told the Financial Times how, at the age of 90, he was still ‘working all day and half the night’.
Ludwig Minelli, the founder of Dignitas, ended his life at the age of 92, a few days before his birthday, in one of his own assisted death clinics.
In the same interview he described suicide as a ‘wonderful possibility’ and argued that assisted dying should be possible for almost everyone, as should euthanasia, where a doctor administers poison.
Originally a journalist, Minelli became a qualified lawyer in his 50s and took a particular interest in the potential of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Assisted dying is not currently legal in the UK but is the subject of ongoing debate.
In September, colleagues warned that legalizing assisted suicide could create a ‘license to kill’ and lead to doctors euthanising people who are not terminally ill.
Former Prime Minister Theresa May said: Controversial bill passed by parliament could have disastrous impact on disabled people and those with disabilities Chronic physical illness or mental health problems.
Britain’s equality watchdog has also expressed concern about the assisted dying bill, calling for a more detailed assessment of how the proposed legislation could affect society’s most vulnerable.
Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland under certain conditions specified in the Swiss Criminal Code.
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