THE NETHERLANDS, Feb 12: Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife, Eugenie, passed away hand-in-hand in a rare occurrence of "double euthanasia." Both aged 93, they were laid to rest together on Thursday.

The Rights Forum, a human rights charity founded by van Agt, announced the news on Friday, stating, "He died hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, the support and anchor with whom he was together for more than 70 years and whom he always continued to refer to as ‘my girl’." The couple's lifelong bond began when they met as students at Nijmegen.

Described as "idiosyncratic" by The Rights Forum, van Agt and his wife were reportedly very ill but inseparable. A Dutchman of Catholic background, van Agt served as prime minister from 1977 to 1982, known for his humor and his participation in events such as riding alongside Tour de France cyclists. Despite his initial conservative stance, he shifted to adopt more left-wing views later in life, notably opposing his party's electoral alliance with Gert Wilders' PVV in 2010.

Van Agt was vocal on various issues, particularly the Israel-Palestine conflict, authoring books on the topic and condemning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a "war criminal" in 2016.

While "double euthanasia" remains uncommon, it has seen an increase in the Low Countries, where euthanasia laws are among the most liberal globally. According to data, there were 26 cases in 2020 and 58 in 2022 out of a total of 9,000 euthanasia instances. Euthanasia and assisted suicide have been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 under specific conditions.

This marks the second known case of "double euthanasia" involving prominent figures, following the death of former MP Jozef van der Heijden and his wife Gonnie in 2016.

Constance de Vries from the Euthanasia Expertise Center highlighted the fear many elderly individuals harbor about facing life alone, particularly when they are less agile and flexible in their later years.