The word "euthanasia" in translation from Greek means "good death". This is the killing in one way or another of an incurably ill person in order to end his suffering. The issue of legalizing euthanasia has been repeatedly raised both in Russia and in other countries.
Types of euthanasia
In order to answer the question of whether euthanasia is legal in Russia, it is necessary to determine the accuracy of the terminology. The fact is that there is so-called passive and active euthanasia.
Passive euthanasia is called disconnecting the patient from the apparatus or stopping the supply of drugs that artificially support the patient's life. For example, an artificial respiration apparatus.
Active euthanasia is the killing of a patient in which a doctor or someone else is directly involved. For example, the deliberate administration of a lethal dose of certain drugs to a patient.
Active euthanasia is legally prohibited on the territory of Russia on the basis of Article 45 of Federal Law No. 323 “On the Fundamentals of Health Protection of Citizens in the Russian Federation”. According to the text of this document, the doctor does not have the right to "satisfy the patient's requests to accelerate his death by any action or means." At the same time, “voluntary refusal of medical care” is not prohibited, which automatically implies a completely legal possibility of passive euthanasia.
Opponents of the legalization of euthanasia are confident that in Russia such a permit can lead to many abuses.
International law
In a number of countries, euthanasia is legal. The Netherlands became the first country to legalize the voluntary renunciation of life for incurable patients experiencing unbearable suffering. Euthanasia was authorized by the country's Supreme Court in 1984. Since 2002, Belgian legislators have made the same decision. Another country where you can legally and painlessly die with the help of a doctor is Luxembourg.
In the United States, in some states, euthanasia is permissible, while in others it is punishable by law. So, in the states of Oregon and Washington, doctors have the right to provide assistance to patients in the terminal stage in committing suicide. At the same time, the state of Georgia has a special law prohibiting euthanasia.
In 1991-1992, a survey was conducted among Russian doctors on the topic "Do you support euthanasia." 49% of doctors aged 21-30 answered “Yes”.
Legalization in Russia
In April 2007, the deputy of the State Assembly of the Republic of Bashkiria, Edward Murzin, made a proposal to amend the Russian Criminal Code related to the possible legalization of euthanasia. In the same period, the deputies of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation prepared a bill on the legalization of "good death". The document provoked a heated discussion in society and the media and was never adopted.
