Swiss voluntary assisted dying pioneer checks out
Ludwig Minelli, founder of Dignitas, Switzerland’s leading assisted dying clinic, died “in self-determination through voluntary assisted death”.
Dignitas said in a statement that Minelli died on Saturday, shortly before his 93rd birthday.
The statement stated that Minelli lived “a life based on freedom of choice, self-determination and human rights.”
The association, whose motto is “Living with dignity – Dying with dignity”, has been providing death aid services to thousands of terminally ill patients since 1998, when it was founded by Minelli.
Minelli has campaigned for decades for the right to self-determination until the end of life, both in Switzerland and internationally.
Active euthanasia is prohibited in Switzerland, but assisted suicide is legal if the assistant is not acting for “selfish” purposes, according to Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code.
Swiss commercial services such as Dignitas also accept patients from other countries where assisted suicide is illegal.
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