EXIT’s board of directors had wanted to restrict the service to within the borders of Switzerland as it was becoming difficult to obtain the necessary documentation from abroad and to arrange journeys to Switzerland.
But earlier this year, Swiss media reported that the proposal was not being viewed favourably by members. For this reason, EXIT’s directors decided to drop the proposal.
“Due to the resistance, the association’s board decided to keep the current membership requirements unchanged,” EXIT Vice President Jürg Wiler said in a statementExternal link.
Only around 1% of the 913 people who used EXIT’s services last year lived abroad.
Swiss law tolerates assisted suicide when patients commit the act themselves and helpers have no vested interest in their death. Assisted suicide has been legal in the country since the 1940s.
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Yoshi travels from Japan to Switzerland to die
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A Japanese man came all the way to Switzerland to die. SWI swissinfo.ch accompanied him on the final part of his journey. This is his story.
To what extent do you think assisted suicide should be a legally available option to those who want to end their lives?
Switzerland legalised assisted suicide in the 1940s. More than 1,000 seriously ill or disabled people end their lives with the help of suicide assistants in Switzerland each year.
Swiss financial watchdog foresees greater uncertainty due to geopolitics
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The Swiss financial sector will face greater uncertainty due to the numerous geopolitical conflicts around the world, warns the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).
Swiss museums to mark centenary of death of painter Félix Vallotton
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In 2025 Swiss museums will celebrate the centenary of the death of painter Félix Vallotton (1865-1925). A major retrospective is planned in Lausanne, his birthplace, in autumn.
Russian mission installs more ‘spy’ antennas in Geneva, claims Swiss TV report
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Russian spies are strengthening their presence in Geneva, according to a report by Swiss public television, RTS. Russian officials have placed new satellite dishes on their diplomatic buildings without authorisation.
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Switzerland must join NATO, as in the future it cannot rely on its long-standing tradition of neutrality for its defence, John Bolton, Donald Trump's former national security adviser, declared in an interview on Sunday.
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A demonstration was held in Geneva on Sunday calling for an immediate end to the war in Ukraine. Around 50 Russians took part in the gathering outside the UN building.
Swiss cantons have killed 39 wolves so far this autumn
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In mid-November, 35 packs of three or more wolves were detected in Switzerland. At least eight of them may be eliminated during the current hunting season. So far, at least 39 wolves have been shot in Graubünden, Valais, Vaud and St. Gallen.
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Pierre-Yves Maillard, president of the Swiss Trade Union Confederation, sees no agreement in sight in negotiations with the European Union.
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The "Dubai chocolate" has also caused a rush in Switzerland: queues formed outside the Lindt chocolate factory in Kilchberg, canton Zurich, on Saturday morning.
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.
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Yoshi travels from Japan to Switzerland to die
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A Japanese man came all the way to Switzerland to die. SWI swissinfo.ch accompanied him on the final part of his journey. This is his story.
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In August last year, the group warned that legal hurdles to euthanasia in other countries were making it increasingly difficult to offer its services to people outside of Switzerland. At the time, some 2,600 EXIT members lived abroad. The organisation asked members if it should stop its services at Swiss borders. But according to the…
Assisted suicide option remains in demand in Switzerland
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There were no reported assisted suicides due to Covid-19, but the pandemic did force EXIT to reduce its activities between March 20 and May 20 last year, the organisation said on Monday. EXIT Deutsche Schweiz, which covers the German and Italian-speaking parts of the country, saw a rise of 51 assisted suicides as it helped…
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Between 1991 and 2011 the Swiss suicide rate fell from 20.7 per 100,000 population to 11.2 per 100,000 – a period which also saw a dramatic increase in antidepressant use across Europe. A London School of Economics study published in the online journal PLOS ONE earlier this year found that antidepressant use among 29 European…
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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.