https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Ludwig Minelli, a longtime director of an assisted dying organisation Dignitas, chose to take his life at his clinic on November 30th - a legal practice in Switzerland. Our comprehensive guide explains how this liberal law works. https://www.thelocal.ch/20180503/what-you-need-to-know-about-assisted-death-in-switzerland Thu, 03 May 2018 14:20:00 +0200 what-you-need-to-know-about-assisted-death-in-switzerland Every year, between 200 and 300 UK nationals come to Switzerland to die. Some of their families are accusing organisers of helping loved ones take their own lives even though if they don't have any serious medical reasons. https://www.thelocal.ch/20251020/britons-criticise-rushed-procedures-at-a-swiss-assisted-dying-clinic Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:31:56 +0200 britons-criticise-rushed-procedures-at-a-swiss-assisted-dying-clinic Switzerland has had an assisted suicide law on the books since 1942 — a constitutional right of each person to determine the manner of his or her death. But do elderly-care facilities also allow this practice on their premises? https://www.thelocal.ch/20250210/which-swiss-cantons-allow-assisted-dying-in-care-homes Mon, 10 Feb 2025 12:37:34 +0100 which-swiss-cantons-allow-assisted-dying-in-care-homes As a police investigation is launched into the use of the controversial assisted suicide capsule Sarco, we examine whether this case is likely to result in any change to Switzerland's laws on assisted dying. https://www.thelocal.ch/20241030/could-switzerland-tighten-its-assisted-suicide-laws-after-sarco-investigation Wed, 30 Oct 2024 12:11:44 +0100 could-switzerland-tighten-its-assisted-suicide-laws-after-sarco-investigation Assisted suicide is allowed in Switzerland — under certain conditions. But the actual way of dying is currently at the centre of controversy. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240925/what-methods-of-assisted-dying-are-legal-in-switzerland Wed, 25 Sep 2024 15:59:50 +0200 what-methods-of-assisted-dying-are-legal-in-switzerland Swiss police announced Tuesday that several people were taken into custody after the controversial Sarco suicide pod was used to end an American woman's life. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240924/breaking-swiss-police-make-arrests-after-use-of-controversial-suicide-pod Tue, 24 Sep 2024 15:09:07 +0200 breaking-swiss-police-make-arrests-after-use-of-controversial-suicide-pod Switzerland's controversial ‘suicide capsule’, Sarco, was supposed to be inaugurated on July 17th, but in the end it was cancelled. The prospective client - an American woman - explained the conflict behind the aborted ‘launch’. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240731/i-felt-manipulated-conflict-prevents-american-woman-from-using-swiss-death-pod Wed, 31 Jul 2024 14:15:08 +0200 i-felt-manipulated-conflict-prevents-american-woman-from-using-swiss-death-pod An assisted dying group expects a portable suicide pod to be used for the first time in Switzerland, potentially within months, providing death without medical supervision, it said Wednesday. https://www.thelocal.ch/20240717/first-death-pod-to-be-used-in-switzerland-soon Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:07:30 +0200 first-death-pod-to-be-used-in-switzerland-soon A new ‘death capsule’ known as the ‘Sarco pod’ will be used for the first time in Switzerland in the coming months.  https://www.thelocal.ch/20240705/tesla-of-assisted-suicide-to-be-used-for-first-time-in-switzerland Fri, 05 Jul 2024 13:31:07 +0200 tesla-of-assisted-suicide-to-be-used-for-first-time-in-switzerland Under Switzerland’s federalist structure, cantons have a far-reaching autonomy in deciding what happens on their territories. A few have their own rules on assisted suicide. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230927/do-swiss-cantons-have-different-rules-on-assisted-suicide Wed, 27 Sep 2023 17:54:03 +0200 do-swiss-cantons-have-different-rules-on-assisted-suicide This is not a pleasant subject, but the fact remains that as Swiss ‘death with dignity’ legislation is the most liberal in Europe, a number of foreign nationals choose to die here. What rules must they follow? https://www.thelocal.ch/20230816/reader-question-can-foreigners-access-switzerlands-assisted-suicide-clinics Wed, 16 Aug 2023 18:38:48 +0200 reader-question-can-foreigners-access-switzerlands-assisted-suicide-clinics Switzerland's highest court this week ruled that patients with mental illnesses can be eligible for assisted suicide even without a psychiatric report. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230629/what-to-know-about-switzerlands-latest-court-judgement-on-assisted-suicide Thu, 29 Jun 2023 13:29:42 +0200 what-to-know-about-switzerlands-latest-court-judgement-on-assisted-suicide While the terms often are used interchangeably, assisted suicide and euthanasia - and the laws that govern them - are quite different. Here’s what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.ch/20211025/switzerland-what-is-the-difference-between-assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia Mon, 25 Oct 2021 14:34:15 +0200 switzerland-what-is-the-difference-between-assisted-suicide-and-euthanasia Swiss medical authorities have put in place new guidelines for the country's assisted suicide providers. Here's what you need to know. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220808/what-are-switzerlands-new-assisted-suicide-rules Mon, 08 Aug 2022 12:45:10 +0200 what-are-switzerlands-new-assisted-suicide-rules Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland. Despite concerns of suicide tourism, it can be accessed by foreigners. https://www.thelocal.ch/20210809/explained-how-foreigners-can-access-assisted-suicide-in-switzerland Mon, 09 Aug 2021 17:01:48 +0200 explained-how-foreigners-can-access-assisted-suicide-in-switzerland Changes to the guidelines for assisted suicide in Switzerland are likely to have an outsized impact on foreigners. Here’s why. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220728/what-do-switzerlands-new-assisted-suicide-rules-mean-for-foreigners Thu, 28 Jul 2022 15:34:32 +0200 what-do-switzerlands-new-assisted-suicide-rules-mean-for-foreigners An unresolved mystery is surrounding the death of two healthcare workers from the US state of Arizona who reportedly came to Switzerland for a vacation but never returned home. This is what the authorities say happened to them. https://www.thelocal.ch/20220323/how-were-two-healthy-american-sisters-able-to-take-their-own-lives-in-switzerland Wed, 23 Mar 2022 13:04:25 +0100 how-were-two-healthy-american-sisters-able-to-take-their-own-lives-in-switzerland As Austria sets out its plan for legalising assisting suicide from 2022 in response to a court ruling, we look at how this compares to other countries' legislation on euthanasia and assisted suicide - including that from Switzerland. https://www.thelocal.ch/20211025/how-do-switzerlands-rules-on-assisted-suicide-compare-across-europe Mon, 25 Oct 2021 11:48:40 +0200 how-do-switzerlands-rules-on-assisted-suicide-compare-across-europe There was a slight increase in assisted suicides in Switzerland in 2020. https://www.thelocal.ch/20210219/euthanasia-slight-increase-in-assisted-suicides-in-switzerland Fri, 19 Feb 2021 17:28:35 +0100 euthanasia-slight-increase-in-assisted-suicides-in-switzerland Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland, despite being banned in many other countries. Here we take a look at the topic in more detail. https://www.thelocal.ch/20200825/euthanasia-what-you-need-to-know-about Tue, 25 Aug 2020 18:48:36 +0200 euthanasia-what-you-need-to-know-about