A New Yorker who was blindsided by the suicides of his two sisters in an $11,000 assisted-dying clinic says he is angered that Swiss law allowed them to take “the easy way out”.
Palliative care doctor Lila Ammouri, 54 and nurse Susan Frazier, 49, became “tired of life” after suffering from chronic insomnia, vertigo and back pain and chose to end their lives at the Pegasos Association in Basel on 11 February.
Cal Ammouri, 60, told The Independent his sisters were cremated and asked for their ashes to be “scattered over the countryside” in Switzerland, depriving him of the chance to hold a service.
Mr Ammouri said he was struggling to gather more information from authorities in the United States and Switzerland, and that the State Department had become “defensive”.
“They say ‘well it’s legal in that country’. They know it’s not legal here, they know that both political parties frown on it in America.
“There are other ways to deal with your problems than this. We know that in America. In Switzerland anything goes, maybe they like the easy way out.
“There you can walk into a bank with millions of dollars in your briefcase, they don’t think anything of it, they don’t raise any eyebrows. Here the FBI will want a little chat with you about money laundering. I don’t think I’d like to live in a country like that.”
Mr Ammouri said he would never recover from the grief of losing his sole remaining relatives.
“With the passage of time, the pain will not go away. Not something like this, it’s too much. Just too devastating for anyone to take.
“I still can’t accept it, it’s a tragedy, it should never have happened.
“I’m hanging in there. It’s difficult, we have to survive, we have to continue, we have to keep going, whether we like it or not. But this is not something I can accept.”
Dr Ammouri and Ms Frazier contacted assisted dying advocacy group Exit International in September 2020 for help on how to end their lives, director Philip Nitschke told The Independent on Sunday.
“They had both decided they were tired of life and it was time to go.
“What was very clear was that dying together was non-negotiable, it was very important to them.”
The sisters also revealed to Dr Nitshcke they had endured a “troubled” period in their lives.
“They didn’t give us much detail, but they said they had helped each other through what had been a difficult time and saw themselves as being each other’s best friend.”
They became members of Exit International in October 2020, which provided them with DIY handbooks on how to take their lives.
The sisters were worried that the procedure may not succeed, and he placed them in touch with Pegasos, which is one the few clinics that does not require proof of terminal illness.
They became members of Pegasos in March 2021, and had originally intended to travel to Switzerland soon afterwards, but faced delays as Covid-19 cases surged in Europe and the US.
Dr Ammouri and Ms Frazier flew to Basel on 3 February without telling their brother, colleagues or friends.
At Pegasos, they were given a full psychiatric examination and a “pretty thorough checking over of their details” to ensure the information they had provided matched up.
On its website, Pegasos “strongly” recommends anyone considering to end their lives should inform their family, even if they know the decision will be opposed.
In a statement to The Independent, Pegasos Director Reudi Habegger said the organisation worked closely with medical professionals and local authorities before determining clients were eligible to die.
“After careful clarifications and within the framework of the official rules, we respectfully accompany people with unbearable suffering on their last journey.”
Dr Nitschke said he was surprised they hadn’t told Mr Ammouri, and that it was “extremely rare” for siblings to choose to die together.
The Daily Mail reported Dr Ammouri placed her $1m Arizona home in an intrafamily trust less than two weeks before travelling to Switzerland, which allows the property to be transferred to next of kin without a formal legal process.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
