Health and Me

Ishita Roy

Who Was Ludwig Minelli, Founder of the Swiss Right-to-Die Organization, Who Died by Assisted Suicide at 92?

<span>Ludwig Minelli</span>, 92, died on Saturday just days before his 93rd birthday, which would have been on December 5. He was the founder of Swiss right-to-die organization Dignitas. He has died by assisted suicide.

The members of organization paid tribute to him and said that he had always led a "life for freedom of choice, self-determination, and human rights". 

Minelli founded Dignitas in 1998, which has helped many people to choose how they wish to die with dignity. He however began his career as a journalist and worked as a correspondent for the German news magazine Der Spiegel. He then studied law and that is when his interest in human rights took off. 

Throughout his life, he campaigned for the right to die and gave Dignitas the slogan: "dignity in life, dignity in death". 

"I am persuaded that we have to struggle in order to implement the last human right in our societies. And the last human right is the right to make a decision on one's own end, and the possibility to have this end without risk and without pain," he said in a 2010 BBC interview. 

He founded Dignitas after he split from an older Swiss assisted dying organization, Exit, because he said the rules felt too restrictive. 

The reason for Dignitas to become famous was because the way it operated. Dignitas offered assisted suicide to non-Swiss citizens who travel to Switzerland because assisted dying is not permitted in their own countries. In a 2008 interview to Der Tagesspiegel, he said that Dignitas assisted 840 people to die, and 60% of them were Germans.

Also Read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/supreme-court-steps-in-for-31-year-olds-passive-euthanasia-plea-who-has-been-in-vegetative-state-for-10-years-article-153216648" data-type="tilCustomLink">Supreme Court Steps In For 31-year-old's Passive Euthanasia Plea Who Has Been In Vegetative State For 10 Years</a> 

<h2>His Life Amid Criticism And Legal Battles</h2>

While he devoted his life for a cause, he was not spared from criticism. He was often criticized for an alleged lack of transparency over the financial dealings of the organization. He was further criticized for offering assisted dying options to those who were not terminally ill, but wanted to end their lives. He also faced numerous legal battles, and many of which were also appealed to Swiss apex court. 

As per Dignitas, his work had a lasting influence. In 2011, the European Court of Human Rights announced the right of a person capable of judgment to decide on the manner and the time of their own end of life. 

While in his own country, assisted dying was permitted under Swiss law since 1942, under strict condition, of course, Euthanasia still remains illegal there. 

The main difference is that in Switzerland, a physician cannot administer a lethal injection, which is what euthanasia is. However, a physician can provide the means for a person to end their own life, and the individual must perform the final act themselves. 

The legality of assisted suicide is based on Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code from 1942, which prohibits assistance only if motivated by selfish reason. The conditions for assisted suicide includes that the assistance must not be for selfish motives and must be provided to someone of sound mind who has made a self-determined and enduring decision to die. The person must also be suffering from an unbearable and uncontrollable condition.

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Ludwig Minelli, 92, died on Saturday just days before his 93rd birthday, which would have been on December 5. He was the founder of Swiss right-to-die organization Dignitas. He has died by assisted suicide.The members of organization paid tribute to him and said that he had always led a "life for freedom of choice, self-determination, and human rights". Right-To-Die By MinelliMinelli founded Dignitas in 1998, which has helped many people to choose how they wish to die with dignity. He however began his career as a journalist and worked as a correspondent for the German news magazine Der Spiegel. He then studied law and that is when his interest in human rights took off. Throughout his life, he campaigned for the right to die and gave Dignitas the slogan: "dignity in life, dignity in death". "I am persuaded that we have to struggle in order to implement the last human right in our societies. And the last human right is the right to make a decision on one's own end, and the possibility to have this end without risk and without pain," he said in a 2010 BBC interview. He founded Dignitas after he split from an older Swiss assisted dying organization, Exit, because he said the rules felt too restrictive. The reason for Dignitas to become famous was because the way it operated. Dignitas offered assisted suicide to non-Swiss citizens who travel to Switzerland because assisted dying is not permitted in their own countries. In a 2008 interview to Der Tagesspiegel, he said that Dignitas assisted 840 people to die, and 60% of them were Germans.Also Read: Supreme Court Steps In For 31-year-old's Passive Euthanasia Plea Who Has Been In Vegetative State For 10 Years His Life Amid Criticism And Legal BattlesWhile he devoted his life for a cause, he was not spared from criticism. He was often criticized for an alleged lack of transparency over the financial dealings of the organization. He was further criticized for offering assisted dying options to those who were not terminally ill, but wanted to end their lives. He also faced numerous legal battles, and many of which were also appealed to Swiss apex court. The Wins He MadeAs per Dignitas, his work had a lasting influence. In 2011, the European Court of Human Rights announced the right of a person capable of judgment to decide on the manner and the time of their own end of life. While in his own country, assisted dying was permitted under Swiss law since 1942, under strict condition, of course, Euthanasia still remains illegal there. The main difference is that in Switzerland, a physician cannot administer a lethal injection, which is what euthanasia is. However, a physician can provide the means for a person to end their own life, and the individual must perform the final act themselves. The legality of assisted suicide is based on Article 115 of the Swiss Criminal Code from 1942, which prohibits assistance only if motivated by selfish reason. The conditions for assisted suicide includes that the assistance must not be for selfish motives and must be provided to someone of sound mind who has made a self-determined and enduring decision to die. The person must also be suffering from an unbearable and uncontrollable condition.