Omid, sufferer from MSA and campaigner for legalisation in the UK – see earlier messages about him on this site – died in Switzerland on 4 October 2018.
His legal team published a press report, to be read here. Also read the necrology here:
Omid T was born in Iran, and came to the UK in 1975, becoming a British citizen. He worked as a property developer until 2008, when the first signs of Multiple Systems Atrophy appeared. Now aged 54, because of this disease, he had become bedridden and had little control of his arms, great difficulty in speaking and needed extensive help for all his personal care.
Because he could still live for several more years, with increasing suffering, he went to the High Court, in London, in March 2018 to seek the possibility of (legal) medical assistance to die. But, his case was adjourned pending the outcome of Noel Conway’s case (which will now be going soon to the UK Supreme Court).
However, because of the severe, increasing suffering that he had to endure, Omid approached Lifecircle, the Swiss organization based near Basel which is willing to provide a doctor-assisted suicide for non-Swiss nationals, who are mentally competent and suffering unbearably from severe medical conditions.
And, on Thursday, October 4th, with a relative and two close friends present, Omid died there.
Omid’s death at Lifecircle was recorded by Andi Reiss, an independent filmmaker, who has being interviewing Omid regularly – as well as other individuals – in recent months for an informative film he has produced on the subject of assisted suicide. This film is called Endgame – please click to: www.endgamemovie.uk – it will be screened at the World Film Festival in San Francisco on October 25th.
Michael Irwin