An assisted suicide activist will stand trial in the Netherlands today for supplying a lethal drug [1] to those who wanted to commit suicide. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) said at least ten of these people actually took their own lives, while the actual number of people who died after using the drug supplied by the defendant may be higher.
The suspect, known as Alex S., is a member of Coöperatie Laatste Wil (CLW), an organisation that advocates eliminating most restrictions on assisted-suicide. S. is not a doctor, and is not an expert in medications. According to CLW, he has supplied Drug X to 2,200 members of that club, and possibly a total of about 10,000 people.
S. also allegedly supplied an antiemetic with the suicide drug, to prevent people from vomiting after taking Drug X.
The District Court in Den Bosch has set aside Monday and Tuesday for the substantive hearings of the criminal case. The suspect potentially faces years of prison time.
Those who support S. have announced that they will hold a demonstration prior to the trial.