Two men have filed a legal bid to prevent the Swiss assisted suicide association Exit from helping their older brother kill himself. Â The exceptional case is being heard by a civilian court in Geneva.
An 82-year-old Swiss man, whose name has not been disclosed, had set the date of October 18th for putting his life to an end.  He informed his five brothers and sisters, two of whom then filed suit.  The brothers contend that their sibling, a member of Exit for more than two decades, is suffering from depression and is not acting of his own free will.
Exit says he has “multiple aged-related disabilities” and says he has written a letter attesting to “intolerable” mental and physical suffering.
His plan for suicide, which requires court approval, has been put on hold while the complaint is heard. Â The court’s decision is expected to take a maximum of three months.
Switzerland’s right-to-die laws allow patients to self-administer a lethal dose prescribed by a doctor acting for a not-for-profit assisted suicide association.  Recent statistics showed that assisted suicide is on the rise in Switzerland, with the majority of cases involving people who are suffering from a terminal illness such as cancer.
The court decision is expected to take a maximum of three months.
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