CZECH REPUBLIC – The debate on legalizing assisted dying is going round in circles
28 January 2026
Guest article by Milan Hamerský*
In socialist Czechoslovakia before 1989, human rights and dignity existed only on paper. The Velvet Revolution enabled the return of democracy and the path to the advanced states of Western Europe. We have come a long way in the area of human rights and care for the suffering. However, in many areas we are still behind the most advanced democracies. Supporters expect the adoption of the law to happen by itself. Financial support for the only organization – which is Proeutanazii – promoting the legalization of assisted dying is very small. The entire activity of political, legislative and media lobbying, consulting, publishing activities, monitoring foreign practice and organizing public events is carried out in the free time of just one person.
Palliative care advocates want to maintain a monopoly on dignified death
Activists from church circles began to actively develop palliative care after 1989 and gradually created a network of hospices from public sources and generous contributions from the public and churches. In recent years, palliative care has been developing significantly in hospitals and mobile care in homes. Palliative care advocates have made a significant contribution to improving care for the dying, and changing the perspective of traditional medicine, which still understands dying, helplessness and pain as technical failures. The palliative lobby is very strong, and in addition to religious circles, it has the support of representatives of doctors. In the Czech Republic, palliative care advocates are a fundamental force that rejects the legalization of assisted suicide and voluntary euthanasia.
Voluntary euthanasia following the example of Belgium and Luxembourg
In the Czech Republic, we saw the legalization of voluntary euthanasia in the Netherlands and Belgium in 2002. However, no political force took up the topic. Therefore, in 2007, based on the Belgian law, I prepared a Czech draft bill, the Act on Dignified Death (Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia). I managed to submit the bill in 2008 to the Senate (the upper chamber of the Czech Parliament). The senators rejected the bill by a large majority.
In 2016, I managed to gain the support of several deputies from both the government and opposition parties for an amended bill. The government gave a negative opinion on the bill. The bill itself was not discussed in the Chamber of Deputies (the lower chamber of the Czech Parliament).
In 2019, a group of government and opposition deputies, led by an experienced physician, began preparing the Act on Palliative Care, End-of-Life Decision-Making and Euthanasia. The authors of this proposal were inspired by the legal regulation in Luxembourg. The proposal takes into account people in the terminal stage of an illness. The decision to actively end one‘s life with professional assistance can only be made by a competent, adult person. The assessment is made by two independent doctors. In both cases of professional assistance of ending one‘s own life by self-ingestion of the medication and in the case of ending one‘s life by another person applying the medication, the decision is always made by the applicant. The applicant has full control over submitting the application and withdrawing it at any time. This law proposal was again rejected by the government and again not discussed by the deputies.
Given the difference between the public healthcare system, Switzerland‘s unique assisted dying system cannot be adopted in the Czech Republic. However, we welcome the fact that Dignitas is open to helping individuals from the Czech Republic. Several cases were reported by the Czech media, with a positive tone.
2025: elections and the Constitutional Court
Mr. Petr, who is disabled with a damaged spine after being hit by a car, can only walk on crutches. In May 2024, he turned to the Czech Constitutional Court with a request to allow assisted dying in the future. The European Court of Human Rights and the Supreme Courts of Canada, Austria, Switzerland and Germany stated that this is a human right. The Czech Constitutional Court did not find the courage to grant the request, and only called on politicians to address the matter.
In 2025, elections were held, in which the pressure of our association was fruitful and one of the important parties with support of over 11% put the legalization of assisted dying on its agenda. Another party declared its support. The other parties rejected the legalization of assisted dying, but there were important individuals among their ranks who expressed support. The strongest party, with support of over 35%, is divided on this matter.
Public support for legalizing assisted dying has increased from 65% in 2007 to 81% in 2025. Support does not vary significantly by age, though it is slightly higher among women, and even among Catholic voters support is at 50%. 60% of doctors and 75% of nurses are in favor. The Czech president elected in 2023 is among the prominent supporters.
Proeutanazii, the Association for the Legalization of Assisted Dying in the Czech Republic still has many years of work to do before the citizens of the Czech Republic will have the freedom to use professional assistance to end their life. Any support is welcome and we thank you for it.
___
* Mgr. Milan Hamerský (1973) is a lawyer and the executive chairman of Proeutanazii – the Association for the Legalization of Assisted Dying, Czech Republic.
