In December 2021, media reported that 3D-printed capsules for voluntary end of life passed legal examination in Switzerland. We have verified the accuracy of such publications.
On December 6, 2021, many major Russian media shared the news with their readers. For example, "Vesti" reported, that “a capsule intended for voluntary euthanasia has undergone legal examination in Switzerland. The device looks like a coffin. The capsule is called Sarco, it was created on a 3D printer. The person, while inside, initiates the euthanasia procedure. After this, the device is filled with nitrogen, reducing the oxygen concentration in the air from 21% to 1%. The person inside feels disoriented. He may also feel a slight euphoria, after which he loses consciousness. The process takes about 30 seconds. As a result, a person dies due to hypoxia and hypocapnia, while he does not experience either panic or suffocation.”
On the same day, similar materials were released Lenta.ru, "Gazeta.ru", "Snob", "Companion" and other publications, many in their publications reported specifically on the approval of the development by the Swiss authorities. In the following days the news was spread popular publics on VKontakte and users Facebook. On December 9, a large text on this topic was published by "Komsomolskaya Pravda" (with the subtitle “Swiss authorities have legalized the use of a capsule for voluntary euthanasia”), and on the 12th - "Izvestia".
In Switzerland, assisted voluntary suicide decriminalized when certain conditions are met. Anyone who wants to commit suicide must be capable and consciously make such a decision, and help should to be without selfish motives. By data Swiss Federal Office of Statistics, in 2018 1,176 people took advantage of this opportunity. The vast majority of them (more than 80%) are elderly people with incurable diseases, many are foreigners who specifically are coming to Switzerland to undergo the euthanasia procedure.
Russian media in publications about an unusual development refer to a note, released on the Swissinfo portal. This site publishes news about Switzerland in ten languages and included to the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation. The original Swissinfo article featured an interview with Philip Nitschke, founder of the Australian-registered non-profit organization Exit International, which is engaged issues of euthanasia. In the Russian version the text was entitled “The Sarco suicide capsule has passed legal examination in Switzerland.” A similar conclusion appears to have been drawn from Nitschke's own statement: “Last year we sought advice on the legality of using Sarco in Switzerland for assisted suicide. A legal examination was carried out, the result of which showed that we had not missed anything. There are no legal problems. We are very pleased."
The news about the unusual innovation became popular not only in Russia, but also abroad. Quite quickly, journalists from a Swiss publication drew attention to it. Watson, as well as our fellow fact checkers: already on December 9, the analysis was released Associated Press, four days later - on Snopes And Reuters.
The Associated Press has reached out for comment to SwissMedic, the agency that answers for the regulation of pharmaceuticals and other medical products in Switzerland. The agency said it has not issued approvals for Sarco. Moreover, Nitschke reported to our colleagues that his organization had never sought such permission - they sought advice from a former law teacher at one of the German universities, who reported that the device developed by Nitschke did not require licensing or obtaining other permitting documents.
Jürg Wieler, vice president of EXIT, a company that has no connection with Nitschke's Exit International and provides euthanasia services in Switzerland, in a letter to The Associated Press doubted the correctness of such an assessment and expressed doubts about its lack of bias. In conversation with Snopes, Wheeler stated, that he "never contacted Nitschke" about the possible use of his invention.
Snopes also contacted Dignitas, another large Swiss organization that helps people voluntarily end their lives. By opinion its representative, Swissinfo, “allowed himself to be used for some kind of “PR campaign”.” The Dignitas response emphasizes that in Switzerland, over the past decades, a certain practice of assistance has developed for those who have chosen “professional assisted suicide.” “In light of this established, safe and professionally performed procedure, we cannot imagine that a technologically advanced voluntary end-of-life capsule will meet with much acceptance and/or interest in Switzerland,” concludes a Dignitas spokesperson. About lack of interest in capsules stated and representatives of other organizations working in this area.
Judging by comments in the media, Swiss lawyers have not come to a common position regarding the legality of the technology proposed by Nitschke. Daniel Hürlimann from the University of St. Gallen reported BBC that, in his opinion, the Sarco capsule is not subject to Swiss law at all. In turn, Kerstin Noel Fockinger from the University of Zurich believes aka: “Medical devices are regulated because they are supposed to be safer than other products. Just because a product is not healthy does not mean it should not meet additional safety requirements.” Let us note that these are only comments by lawyers for the press, and not examinations officially carried out by order of government departments.
Already on December 8, two days after publication, Swissinfo contributed changes to your original article. Heading fixed to “The creators of the Sarco euthanasia capsule are targeting Switzerland,” and the text itself was preceded by a note: “The original version of this article erroneously stated that the Sarco capsule was “legally certified in Switzerland.” But an AP fact check found that this information is false. We deeply apologize for this misleading title and information. The material has been corrected after an investigation conducted on December 8, 2021 by the portal watson.ch: Philipp Nitschke's statements that he is negotiating with several specialized structures in Switzerland about the launch of the Sarco capsule next year have not been confirmed. None of the major Swiss assisted suicide organizations, such as Dignitas, Exit Deutsche Schweiz or Ex International, have stated, according to watson.ch, that they are considering this technology (for future use).” Unfortunately, the vast majority of Russian media that disseminated erroneous information did not supplement their publications with such disclaimers and did not issue a refutation (and some even published their texts about “approval by the Swiss authorities” after Swissinfo admitted the error).
Cover photo: Exit International
Mostly not true
- AP News. No, Switzerland has not approved a ‘suicide capsule’
- Snopes. Has Switzerland Approved 3D-Printed Pods for Assisted Suicide?
- Reuters. Fact Check-3D capsule for assisted suicide hasn’t been approved by Swiss medical board
- Is it true that there are roller coasters designed for suicide?
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