Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Dignitas Founder Ludwig Minelli Dies by Assisted Suicide at 92 at One of His Clinics

Dignitas says a prepared succession keeps the organisation on course in the spirit of its founder.

Overview

  • The organisation said Minelli died on November 29 at a Dignitas facility, days before his 93rd birthday on December 5.
  • Minelli founded Dignitas in 1998, and the group reports roughly 4,000–4,200 assisted deaths by 2024 and about 10,000 members, including non‑Swiss clients.
  • Dignitas praised his lifelong advocacy for self‑determination and cited successful appeals to Swiss courts and a 2011 European Court of Human Rights ruling on end‑of‑life choice.
  • The group said he expanded its board and set succession plans to ensure operational continuity.
  • The announcement comes as lawmakers in multiple countries consider assisted‑dying measures, including a bill under debate in the UK House of Lords, while Swiss law permits assisted suicide but bans euthanasia.