Bostadel prison in canton Zug, Switzerland.
@Canton Zugo
A Swiss prison inmate has reportedly ended his life with the help of the assisted suicide organisation EXIT – the first time this has happened in Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SRF/20Minuten/sb
Italiano
it
Primo suicidio assistito da parte di un detenuto svizzero
According to the Thursday edition of the Wochenzeitung newspaper, an inmate of Bostadel prison in canton Zug died with the help of the assisted suicide organisation on February 28; the suicide assistance was reportedly performed away from the prison facility.
Canton Zurich’s Department of Justice confirmed to Swiss public radio, SRF, that it had given the go-ahead for the assisted suicide to take place but declined to provide any further details on the detainee.
According to Zurich’s justice department, euthanasia cannot be denied simply because a person has been sentenced or is serving their sentence behind bars.
Wochenzeitung wrote that the Swiss Competence Centre for the Execution of Criminal Penalties has drawn up a document which states that internees have in principle the right to assisted suicide with the help of a third party. However, the agreement of the relevant justice authority is necessary in all cases before such a suicide can be performed.
Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when patients commit the act themselves and helpers have no vested interest in their death. It has been legal in the country since the 1940s, and assisted suicides represent around 1.5% of the 67,000 deaths recorded on average each year.
Popular Stories
More
Demographics
Flat-hunting in Switzerland’s cheapest and most expensive municipalities
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Switzerland among world’s most expensive for household electricity
This content was published on
According to a study by the comparison site Verivox, based on data from Global Petrol Prices, Switzerland came in tenth out of 143 countries.
Global uncertainty boosts Swiss-EU talks, says Cassis
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis says Switzerland’s talks with the European Union (EU) have been boosted by the current difficult global situation.
Foreigners fret over stricter Swiss rules on assisted suicide
This content was published on
The Swiss Medical Association has issued a new rule on assisted suicide that may make access more difficult, sparking concern around the world.
Finding life in the face of death: A Japanese woman’s emotional journey
This content was published on
Aina, a Japanese woman with a rare neurological disorder, came to Basel to die. The journey made her question her motivation.
This content was published on
In Switzerland, helping people to commit suicide is a job. But the role is more complex than simply supplying the fatal medication to patients.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.