October 5, 2019
New assisted suicide organisation emerges after split
A new assisted suicide organisation emerges after split following a dispute with assisted suicide activist Erika Preisig, her brother has founded his own assisted suicide organisation reports 20 Minuten.
The new association intends to operate with lean structures and forego public relations: the powder pentobarbital is used in assisted suicide.
The fifth assisted suicide organisation has been established in German-speaking Switzerland: the Pegasos Swiss Association is based in Basel and has a death room in Liestal.
The non-profit association wants to work with as lean structures and as little bureaucracy as possible and do without PR, as reported by Schweiz am Wochenende.
The president of the new assisted suicide organisation is Ruedi Habegger, the brother of assisted suicide activist Erika Preisig.
Ruedi Habegger, President of Pegasos Association, as seen in the Finnish TV series ‘Oikeus Kuolla’
He worked for her assisted suicide organisation Eternal Spirit for eight years. Then, according to the newspaper, a dispute arose and he founded his own association – apparently behind his sister’s back, which she resents.
Same location
Preisig told Schweiz am Wochenende that she was particularly bothered by the fact that he had set up his death room at the same location in an industrial park in Liestal. She therefore wanted to leave Liestal and ‘preferably the canton as well’.
Habegger told the newspaper that he had founded the association with the best of intentions because he wanted to maintain the service after his sister had imposed a membership freeze.
Erika Preisig and Ruedi Habegger, brother and sister ‘at work’ in happier times – as seen in the Finnish TV series ‘Oikeus Kuolla’ in 2020
The stress of a criminal trial had made her ill, and she had to take it easy.
History is repeating itself: the founding of Pegasos is already the third split in a row.
First, there was only Exit in German-speaking Switzerland, then Dignitas split off in 1998.
In 2012, Preisig separated from Dignitas and went independent.
Now it is her brother’s turn.
New assisted suicide organisation emerges after split