Is Simon binner still alive 2026
Executive summary
Simon Binner is not alive in 2026; multiple independent news outlets reported he died after undergoing assisted suicide at a Swiss clinic in October 2015 [1][2]. His death was widely covered at the time and later became the subject of a BBC documentary that included footage surrounding his assisted death [2][3].
1. The reported fact: Binner’s death in Basel, October 2015
Contemporary reporting from British press outlets stated that Simon Binner, a 57‑year‑old businessman diagnosed with aggressive motor neurone disease, travelled to an assisted‑suicide clinic in Basel and died there on 19 October 2015; media summaries and statements from supporting organisations described his death as having taken place at the Eternal Spirit clinic in Switzerland [4][1][2][5].
2. Multiple outlets documented the same timeline and circumstances
The Guardian, The Independent, the Evening Standard and other outlets reported that Binner announced the date of his death on LinkedIn, publicly campaigned for a change in UK assisted‑dying law, and then went to Switzerland where he ended his life—accounts that consistently place his death in October 2015 and note his diagnosis of motor neurone disease earlier that year [6][7][1][5].
3. Documentary evidence and later broadcasts reinforce the reporting
The BBC commissioned and later broadcast a feature documentary about Binner’s choice—How to Die: Simon’s Choice—which treated his story as having culminated in his death the previous year and included filmed scenes from the Swiss clinic, with editorial decisions described publicly about how the moment of death was handled on camera [3][2][8].
4. Family and advocacy voices corroborated the outcome and motive
Reports quoted family members and organisations such as the British Humanist Association describing Binner’s wish to end his suffering and his public motive—arguing for legal change in the UK so others would not have to travel abroad—and the BHA posted statements indicating “Simon Binner’s battle with motor neurone disease may now be at an end,” language that news outlets used in reporting his death [9][4][5].
5. Media descriptions of the final moments and subsequent coverage
Several outlets described the circumstances of his assisted death in clinical terms—saying he administered an anaesthetic or toxic drink at the Swiss facility and that the documentary filmed his last recorded message to his wife; news organizations also reported internal editorial decisions about whether to show the moment of death or the corpse, indicating the death itself was treated as a documented event [2][10][11][8].
6. Caveats and limits of the available reporting
All supplied sources consistently report Binner’s death in October 2015 and the later BBC documentary treatment, and no provided source asserts he lived beyond 2015; however, this summary is limited to the supplied reporting and contemporaneous follow‑ups—if an official retraction, legal development, or credible record existed after these accounts that contradicted them, it is not present in the materials provided here [2][3][8].
7. Bottom line: the public record as provided
On the balance of the available, consistent contemporary reports and documentary material, Simon Binner died in October 2015 after travelling to a Swiss assisted‑suicide clinic; therefore he is not alive in 2026 according to the cited reporting [1][2][3].