GENEVA — Swiss authorities announced on Monday that a right-to-die advocate was released after spending over two months in detention, following their investigation into the first reported use of a “suicide capsule.” Prosecutors determined there was no evidence of intentional homicide in the case.

Florian Willet, who leads the advocacy organization known as The Last Resort, was released from custody in the northern region of Schaffhausen. This area was in the news after a 64-year-old American woman reportedly used the Sarco suicide capsule in late September. The capsule is a sealed chamber that dispenses gas at the push of a button.

Initially, four individuals were detained, but only three were released at first. Willet, however, remained in custody as authorities probed the possibility that the woman might have been the victim of a crime rather than having opted for suicide.

On the day the woman passed away, September 23, authorities opened a criminal investigation into potential “inciting and abetting suicide” as well as strong indications of “intentional homicide.” However, as per the latest statement from prosecutors, there is no longer a suspicion of intentional homicide, although investigations still point to possible involvement in inciting and aiding suicide.

While the name of the suspect was not disclosed, it has been noted that Willet had actively spoken to the media prior to his arrest, with his associates advocating for his release. Prosecutors did not provide additional information regarding whether Willet’s release comes with any conditions or if he still faces ongoing investigations related to incitement for suicide.

Efforts to reach Willet for comment via his mobile phone were unsuccessful. Philip Nitschke, the developer of the Sarco capsule and a member of Exit International—an organization associated with The Last Resort—has dismissed allegations that the woman could have been strangled, calling them “absurd.” He stated he witnessed the procedure through video and confirmed that the capsule functioned correctly.

The Sarco capsule is engineered to allow a person reclining in it to activate a button, releasing nitrogen gas into the chamber. Following this, the individual is expected to lose consciousness and succumb to suffocation within a few minutes.

Swiss law permits assisted suicide as long as the individual carries out the act without “external assistance” and those involved do not have any “self-serving motives.” This framework makes Switzerland one of the few nations where international visitors can legally seek an end to their lives, with several organizations dedicated to providing such assistance.

Nitschke has reiterated that legal counsel from Exit International’s Swiss lawyers has confirmed that using the Sarco capsule is lawful within the country.