Estonian court acquits engineer in assisted suicide case
An Estonian retired engineer who offered a self-designed device for assisted suicide, which was used by three people and resulted in the deaths of two, has been acquitted by the Supreme Court.
The engineer designed and rented out the device for a fee. It allowed users to commit assisted suicide at their own request by inhaling helium, which led to oxygen deprivation over a prolonged period.
In the spring of the previous year, a court in Tartu sentenced him to one year of imprisonment, suspended for two years. Previously, the man had shared his ideas on assisting with dying in Estonia on his non-governmental organization's website and on social media.
Euthanasia is not legal in Estonia. The Supreme Court highlighted that the absence of explicit regulations governing assisted voluntary death as a service has so far been "the choice of legislators." The ruling panel referred to the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, which states that every system of assisted death requires a solid legal framework.
According to Signe Riisalo, the head of the parliamentary Social Affairs Committee, the unexpected decision by the Supreme Court has created a complicated situation and shows the need for a social debate on this topic.
"On one hand, some people expect the regulation of assisted dying, and perhaps even euthanasia, while on the other, others approach it with apprehension," said the politician, quoted by ERR radio.
She admitted that any potential change in regulations, taking into account ethical, emotional, and social issues, could take several years in Estonia.
