On Tuesday, September 24th, 4 people were detained after assisting a woman with committing suicide. A 64-year-old US woman, suffering from a compromised immune system, committed suicide using Exit International’s suicide capsule. Exit International is a Switzerland-based company that assists people in medically terminating their lives. The suicide capsule contains a reclining seat and a button, and once the person presses the button, nitrogen gas is released and suffocates the individual in a few minutes. The person falls asleep before they feel any pain, resulting in a swift painless death. The company’s founder, Phillip Nitschke, stated that he was “Pleased that the Sarco had performed exactly as it had been designed … to provide an elective, non-drug, peaceful death at the time of the person’s choosing.” Florian Willet, the co-president, and 3 others were arrested, with Willet being the only person present at the time of the woman’s death. The suicide pod was located in a forest in Merishausen, Switzerland. According to Swiss law, assisted suicide is completely legal as long as the person helping does not have any personal motives and does not directly help in the suicide. Currently, swiss politicians are investigating the legitimacy of these suicide pods.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/24/europe/switzerland-arrests-sarco-suicide-capsule-intl-hnk/index.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/suicide-capsule-american-woman-dies-switzerland-arrests/