Switzerland’s New
Human Rights Organisation
The Last Resort is Switzerland’s newest human rights/assisted suicide organisation. It is the only organisation to offer a free assisted suicide service.
On 23 September 2024, The Last Resort hosted the first use of the Sarco at a forest retreat in the canton of Schaffhausen.
The Sarco was used by a seriously ill woman from the American mid west. The woman lost consciousness within 2 minutes and died 7 minutes later.
The Schaffhausen prosecutor would go on to arrest and detain the TLR President Florian Willet for 70 days. The organisation’s lawyers were also detained! All were eventually released.
The Last Resort is currently expanding its operations beyond the Sarco. First task among many is the creation of a new committee of management. If you are a Swiss national/permanent resident & are interested in getting involved, please email the orgnaisation.
TLR is funded via Memberships, Donations & Bequests.
Please consider becoming a Member and/or making a Donation.
About the Sarco
History
The Sarco Project began in 2012 when Philip Nitschke was asked to design a machine that could help a man with ‘locked-in’ syndrome control his own death.
Operation
The 3D-printed Sarco capsule works by rapidly replacing the air (& oxygen) within the capsule with pure nitrogen. In this low-oxygen, low carbon dioxide environment, the user dies quickly & peacefully.
Terms of Use
The Sarco is available to use for free to approved users*. An ‘approved user’ is a person who satisfies the criteria for an assisted suicide under Swiss law.
News
Dignified dying with the Sarco
Self-determined dying must be recognised as a fundamental human right.
Federal politicians are considering tightening the legal framework surrounding assisted suicide
Following the use of the Sarco capsule in the canton of Schaffhausen, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Council of States has decided to hold hearings and it could tighten up the law.
“Sarco man” spent ten weeks in custody on suspicion of strangulation. “Hard to understand”, say lawyers
The Schaffhausen public prosecutor’s office is investigating the first death in the death capsule. Research shows that they are taking an unusually tough approach – and are sticking to a dubious theory.