The founder of the Swiss right-to-die organisation Dignitas has died by assisted suicide, the group says.
Ludwig Minelli, 92, died on Saturday, just days before his 93rd birthday.
The organization hailed Minelli, stating that he had led a life for freedom of choice, self-determination, and human rights.
Since its inception in 1998, Dignitas has assisted thousands in their end-of-life decisions.
In recent years, several countries have changed their legal stance on assisted dying, with laws introduced in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. Meanwhile, the UK House of Lords is currently deliberating the assisted dying bill.
Critics of legalization argue that it could pressure disabled and vulnerable individuals into ending their lives prematurely.
Dignitas serves many clients who travel to Switzerland due to the prohibition of assisted dying in their home countries.
Minelli passionately campaigned for the right to die, promoting Dignitas with the slogan dignity in life, dignity in death. In a 2010 BBC interview, he stated, I am convinced that we need to fight for the last human right in our societies: the right to choose how to end one's life, without suffering or risks involved.
Beginning his career as a journalist for Der Spiegel, Minelli became an advocate for human rights and faced legal challenges after founding Dignitas, successfully appealing several times to the Swiss Supreme Court.
Dignitas acknowledged Minelli's lasting influence and highlighted a 2011 European Court of Human Rights ruling that affirmed an individual's right to choose their end-of-life circumstances.
While assisted dying remains legal in Switzerland, euthanasia—where a physician administers a lethal drug—is illegal. Dignitas stated that it would continue its work in the spirit of its founder, advocating for self-determination and freedom at the end of life.
