Friday, December 5, 2025

Ludwig Amadeus Minelli (5 December 1932 – 29 November 2025), leader of Dignitas assisted suicide organization

 The Washington Post has the story

Ludwig Minelli, founder of leading assisted suicide group, ends his life at 92.  Dignitas, which Mr. Minelli founded, has helped thousands of people to die, some from countries where assisted suicide is illegal.  By Maham Javaid

 "Ludwig Minelli, who became a leader of the death-with-dignity movement as the founder of Dignitas, a Swiss organization with more than 10,000 members that provides and advocates for access to assisted suicide, died Saturday, ending his life through the process he helped promote. He was 92 and would have celebrated his 93rd birthday on Friday.

...

"Mr. Minelli, a lawyer specializing in human rights, was the general secretary of Dignitas, which since 1998 has helped thousands of people from around the world, including from countries where assisted suicide is illegal, to die. 

...

"Mr. Minelli and his group claimed responsibility for major milestones in the field of assisted death. In 2011 the European Court of Human Rights confirmed the right and freedom of a competent individual to decide on the manner and the time of their own end of life. In 2022, the German Federal Constitutional Court declared a law that made providing professional assistance in suicide impossible in Germany was unconstitutional. The same year, Austria also revoked a blanket prohibition on assisted suicide.

"In recent years, Australia, Canada and New Zealand have shifted their stance on assisted dying.

"Dignitas has participated in nearly 4,200 accompanied suicides since Mr. Minelli founded the group in 1998, the group reported in 2024. More than a third of those people lived in Germany, and there were over 600 people each from France and Britain. The group says it has more than 10,000 members. "

#########

Here is the statement/obituary from Dignitas: Passing of a pioneer and warrior 

No comments: