Retired doctor Pierre Beck, a former regional vice president of assisted suicide group Exit, helped a healthy 86-year-old woman who wanted to die alongside her ill husband. Beck provided the woman with a lethal dose of the sedative and preanesthetic pentobarbital.
“The mere fact of a physician prescribing pentobarbital to a person in good health, capable of discernment and wishing to die, does not constitute behavior punishable by the law on narcotics,” the court wrote in the judgement seen by Swiss public broadcaster RTS.
Prosecutors have 30 days to appeal the verdict to the Federal Court, but have not yet decided if they will take this action, according to RTS.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Swiss cinemas report drop in admissions in first half of 2024
This content was published on
The decline in cinema-goers has continued so far this year. Swiss films and smaller cinemas are holding up better than big US productions and multiplex.
Spread of Japanese beetle leads to lawn-watering bans in Basel
This content was published on
Basel City authorities have extended an infestation zone with strict guidelines to a good third of the canton’s territory.
Bad weather forces closure of many Swiss hiking trails
This content was published on
Some 620 trails are still closed due to the extreme weather this summer, with the canton of Valais particularly hard hit.
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten off Zurich and Bern to make it onto the shortlist to host the Europe-wide singing extravaganza next May.
This content was published on
Construction expenditure rose by 0.3% last year in nominal terms, but the price-adjusted situation reveals a 2.5% drop, statistics show.
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
The body found in the Maggia river in Ticino on Thursday is “likely” to be the sixth victim of storms last month, police said.
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
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.
Read more
More
Court overturns sentence of doctor in assisted suicide case
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Court has overturned the conviction of a former regional vice president of assisted suicide group Exit for having helped a healthy 86-year-old woman to die.
Assisted suicide numbers rose in Switzerland last year
This content was published on
The Swiss assisted suicide organisation EXIT helped a total of 1,125 people end their lives in 2022, up 15% on the previous year, it says.
Assisted suicide: How a quest for death rekindled the will to live
This content was published on
Aina, a Japanese woman with a rare neurological disorder, came to Basel to die. The journey made her question her motivation.
Swiss doctor sentenced for helping healthy woman to die
This content was published on
A court in Geneva has given a suspended sentence to a regional vice-president of EXIT, Pierre Beck, for helping an elderly but healthy woman to die.
Swiss doctor avoids prison in assisted suicide case
This content was published on
A doctor from canton Basel-Country in north western Switzerland was acquitted of murder charges for helping a mentally-ill woman commit suicide.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.