{"id":238708,"date":"2021-01-26T15:46:15","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T21:46:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=238708"},"modified":"2021-01-25T21:53:05","modified_gmt":"2021-01-26T03:53:05","slug":"australian-dr-death-healthy-dutch-take-lives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/australian-dr-death-healthy-dutch-take-lives\/","title":{"rendered":"Australian ‘Dr. Death’ helps healthy Dutch people to take their own lives"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Overall, the Netherlands has shockingly permissive laws when it comes to euthanasia. Children<\/a> and people with mental illnesses<\/a>\u00a0can be legally killed, and doctors recently received permission to forcibly euthanize dementia patients as well. Over a quarter of all deaths in the country are now induced<\/a>, and some have said they expect euthanasia deaths to\u00a0double<\/a> in the next decade. Given these disturbing facts, one would think there is no one who believes euthanasia isn’t easily accessible. But one notorious Australian doctor is looking to help Dutch citizens get around the very few restrictions on assisted suicide.<\/p>\n

Philip Nitschke, known as “Dr. Death,” is the founder of Exit International, an organization which advocates for the legalization of assisted suicide. But he’s since launched another group: Pegasos, a Switzerland-based organization which allows foreigners to participate in euthanasia tourism, a concept in which tourists pay exorbitant sums of money to take their own lives.<\/p>\n

In a tweet this month, Nitschke seemed to indicate why he felt Pegasos was needed:<\/p>\n

The Swiss have not medicalised their end of life laws. Those tired of life can be helped, and couples can die together. Pegasos makes this possible. This pisses off the Dutch, where you MUST be sick, from NL, and a doctor makes the decisions, not you.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Swiss have not medicalised their end of life laws. Those tired of life can be helped, and couples can die together. Pegasos makes this possible. This pisses off the Dutch, where you MUST be sick, from NL, and a doctor makes the decisions, not you. https:\/\/t.co\/YfTrxbP0Jg<\/a><\/p>\n

— Philip Nitschke (@philipnitschke) January 9, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n