Editing Philip Nitschke (section)

== Conflict with police ==
Nitschke states that he and his group are regularly subject to harassment by authorities, including detention and questioning at international airports, and raids on homes and the premises of Exit International.<ref name="polli5">{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/nz-police-detain-dr-philip-nitschke/2008/01/31/1201714134995.html |title=NZ police detain Dr Philip Nitschke |work=[[The Age]] |date=2008-01-30 |access-date=2016-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201002330/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/nz-police-detain-dr-philip-nitschke/2008/01/31/1201714134995.html |archive-date=1 February 2008 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/euthanasia-group-raided-over-suicide/story-fn3dxiwe-1225797074820 |title=Euthenasia group raided over suicide |work=The Australian |access-date=9 December 2009 |date=12 November 2009}}</ref><ref name="polli">{{cite news |url=http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/breaking-news/philip-nitschke-to-meet-with-police/news-story/b92fa03d4c827722cdf5faf774ed163e |title=Police seize Philip Nitschke items |work=[[The Courier-Mail]] |date=2014-08-01 |access-date=2016-04-21 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2009/s2742128.htm |title=The World Today – Exit members threatened by raids: Nitschke 13/11/2009 |publisher=www.abc.net.au |access-date=30 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110133611/http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2009/s2742128.htm |archive-date=10 November 2012 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="polli4">{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-22/police-raid-homes-of-euthanasia-group-members/5403866 |title=WA Police search homes of Exit International group members for euthanasia drug Nembutal |work=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=2014-04-22 |access-date=2016-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101043518/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-22/police-raid-homes-of-euthanasia-group-members/5403866 |archive-date=1 November 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

On 2 May 2009 Nitschke was detained for nine hours by British Immigration officials at [[Heathrow Airport]] after arriving for a visit to the UK to lecture on voluntary euthanasia and end-of-life choices. Nitschke said it was a matter of free speech and that his detention said something about changes to British society which were "quite troubling".<ref name="heathrow">
{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/8030416.stm |title=BBC NEWS – Euthanasia doctor held at airport |publisher=news.bbc.co.uk |access-date=2 May 2009 |date=2 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090505192036/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/dorset/8030416.stm |archive-date=5 May 2009 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}
</ref> Nitschke was told that he and his wife, author [[Fiona Stewart (author)|Fiona Stewart]], were detained because the workshops may contravene British law.<ref name="heathrow" /> However, although assisting someone to commit suicide in the UK was illegal, the law did not apply to a person lecturing on the concept of euthanasia, and Nitschke was allowed to enter. Dame [[Joan Bakewell]], the British government's "Voice of Older People", said that the current British law on assisted suicide was "a mess" and that Nitschke should have been made more welcome in the UK.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.christian.org.uk/news/20090515/welcome-dr-death-says-spokesman-for-elderly/ |title=Welcome Dr Death, says 'spokesman' for elderly |date=15 May 2009 |publisher=The Christian Institute |access-date=16 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090517062927/http://www.christian.org.uk/news/20090515/welcome-dr-death-says-spokesman-for-elderly/ |archive-date=17 May 2009 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

On 1 August 2014, after euthanasia advocate Max Bromson, 66,<ref name="brom">{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-30/euthanasia-advocate-max-bromson-dead-nembutal/5636166 |title=Voluntary Euthanasia Party's Max Bromson dies in Adelaide motel room after taking Nembutal |newspaper=ABC News |date=30 July 2014 |access-date=7 August 2014 |publisher=ABC |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804084338/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-30/euthanasia-advocate-max-bromson-dead-nembutal/5636166 |archive-date=4 August 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> who suffered from [[terminal illness|terminal]] [[bone tumor|bone cancer]], ended his life with Nembutal in a [[Glenelg, South Australia|Glenelg]] motel room, surrounded by family members, police carried out a three-hour raid on Exit International's Adelaide premises, interrogating Nitschke and seizing Nitschke's phones, computers and other items.<ref name="raid2014">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/philip-nitschke-to-speak-to-police-over-suicide-death-of-terminally-ill-man |title=Philip Nitschke's phone seized by police investigating terminally ill man's death |access-date=7 August 2014 |work=The Guardian |date=August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140810174528/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/01/philip-nitschke-to-speak-to-police-over-suicide-death-of-terminally-ill-man |archive-date=10 August 2014 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Nitschke said he felt violated by the "heavy-handed and unnecessary" police actions and confiscations that would cripple Exit International's activities.<ref name="raid2014" /> In August 2016, after exactly two years of investigation, South Australian police advised that no charges would be laid against anyone over the death.<ref name="broms1">{{cite news |last=Crouch |first=Brad |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/twoyear-investigation-into-max-bromsons-voluntary-euthanasia-shows-no-sign-of-ending/news-story/007520a6412e0d1d959793f0dbb88821?nk=5e2dc61cc956891aae683fad7446cb46-1470109221 |title=Two-year investigation into Max Bromson's voluntary euthanasia shows no sign of ending |work=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)]] |date=2016-07-31 |access-date=2016-08-02 }}</ref><ref name="broms">{{cite news |last=Crouch |first=Brad |url=http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-police-will-lay-no-charges-against-philip-nitschke-over-suicide-of-cancer-sufferer-max-bromson-in-glenelg-motel-room/news-story/e56438ed718e8b195d872c4df621784c |title=SA Police will lay no charges against Philip Nitschke over suicide of cancer sufferer Max Bromson in Glenelg motel room |work=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)]] |date=2016-08-02 |access-date=2016-08-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612141833/https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-police-will-lay-no-charges-against-philip-nitschke-over-suicide-of-cancer-sufferer-max-bromson-in-glenelg-motel-room/news-story/e56438ed718e8b195d872c4df621784c |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In 2019, Nitschke's phone and computer were finally returned.<ref name="laptop">{{cite news |title=Euthanasia advocate Dr Philip Nitschke to get his phone back, five years after police raid on Gilberton clinic |url=https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/euthanasia-advocate-dr-philip-nitschke-to-get-his-phone-back-five-years-after-police-raid-on-gilberton-clinic/news-story/62f7a2fa60308e738bc3dbc2f4dd5572 |access-date=16 January 2019 |publisher= [[The Advertiser (Adelaide)]] |date=15 January 2019}}</ref>

In April 2016 British police, acting on an [[Interpol]] drug alert, forced entry into the home of a member of Nitschke's organisation, retired professor Dr Avril Henry, aged 81,<ref name="grd-avril">{{cite news |last=Oberhaus|first=Daniel |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/22/philip-nitschke-choose-when-to-die-euthanasia-advocate |title=Philip Nitschke, the man who thinks we should all choose when to die |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=2016-04-22 |access-date=2016-04-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008060404/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/apr/22/philip-nitschke-choose-when-to-die-euthanasia-advocate |archive-date=8 October 2016 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> who was in failing health.<ref name="exeter">{{cite news |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/diy-euthanasia-movement-philip-nitschke-exit-international/ |title=Rise of the DIY Death Machines |work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |date=2018-03-29 |access-date=2020-08-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190727044736/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/a3y39j/diy-euthanasia-movement-philip-nitschke-exit-international |archive-date=2019-07-27 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Without knocking, police —accompanied by a psychiatrist, GP and social worker— forced their way into Dr Henry's home by smashing her glass front door at 10{{nbsp}}pm and questioned her for six hours, confiscating a bottle of imported Nembutal, and leaving at 4{{nbsp}}am. They decided Dr Henry "had capacity" and would not be [[Mental Health Act 1983|sectioned]] (detained involuntarily for mental assessment).<ref name="police-force">{{cite news |url=http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Euthanasia-campaigner-s-concerns-Exeter-police/story-29144299-detail/story.html |title=Euthanasia campaigner |work=Exeter Express and Echo |date=2016-04-20 |access-date=2016-04-21 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Worried that the police would return and confiscate her remaining Nembutal, she committed suicide four days later.<ref name="exeter" /> Dr Nitschke commented that police had made Dr Henry's last days on earth a misery and that “police need to realise that in the UK, suicide is not a crime, and mental health authorities need to recognise that not everyone who seeks to end their life is in need of psychiatric intervention", adding that the police action was "a significant abuse of power against a vulnerable elderly woman".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/Retired-Exeter-professor-dies-home-days-police/story-29151376-detail/story.html |title=Retired Exeter professor dies in her home four days after police visit to check her welfare |work=Exeter Express and Echo |date=2016-04-21 |access-date=2016-04-22 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

In May 2018 [[Australian Federal Police]] used local police force personnel in different regions of the country to conduct late night raids on the homes of elderly Exit members, demanding to know if they had bought the euthanasia drug Nembutal.<ref name="tweed">{{cite news |url=https://www.echo.net.au/2018/05/tweed-exit-members-late-night-police-questioning/ |title=Tweed Exit member's late-night police questioning |work=Echonetdaily |date=2018-05-29 |access-date=2018-05-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180529083134/https://www.echo.net.au/2018/05/tweed-exit-members-late-night-police-questioning/ |archive-date=29 May 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> 

===Operation Painter===
In October 2016 New Zealand police, in a "sting" operation code named "Operation Painter", set up roadblocks (checkpoints) outside an Exit International meeting and took down names and addresses of all attendees.<ref name="roadblocks">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/85828119/Wellington-woman-Annemarie-Treadwells-death-trigger-for-Police-euthanasia-furore |title=Wellington woman Annemarie Treadwell's death trigger for Police euthanasia furore |work=[[Stuff.co.nz]] |publisher=Fairfax NZ |date=2016-10-28 |access-date=2016-10-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924215628/http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/85828119/wellington-woman-annemarie-treadwells-death-trigger-for-police-euthanasia-furore |archive-date=24 September 2017 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Some of the elderly members of the group were later visited at their homes by police with warrants, and searches were conducted. Computers, tablets, cameras, letters and books were seized.<ref name="seize">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/85896648/letters-from-dead-friend-seized-during-controversial-police-euthanasia-crackdown |title=Letters from dead friend seized during controversial police euthanasia crackdown |work=[[Stuff.co.nz]] |date=2016-11-01 |access-date=2016-11-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612144321/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/85896648/letters-from-dead-friend-seized-during-controversial-police-euthanasia-crackdown |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Nitschke said police actions were unprecedented and probably in breach of the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed freedom of association. The police operation was the subject of an [[Independent Police Conduct Authority]] investigation.<ref name="roadblocks" /> Legal action against the police followed.<ref name="legal-action">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/85989298/police-facing-legal-action-after-wellington-euthanasia-checkpoint |title=Police facing legal action after Wellington euthanasia checkpoint |work=[[Stuff.co.nz]] |date=2016-11-03 |access-date=2016-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612155038/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/85989298/police-facing-legal-action-after-wellington-euthanasia-checkpoint |archive-date=12 June 2018 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In March 2018, the Independent Police Conduct Authority found Operation Painter to be illegal.<ref name="gisborne">{{cite news |url=http://gisborneherald.co.nz/opinion/3363141-135/the-new-zealand-kgb |title=The New Zealand KGB? |work=The Gisborne Herald |date=2018-05-11 |access-date=2018-05-29 }}</ref>

This coincided with another action by New Zealand police in which 76-year old Patsy McGrath, a member of Nitschke's Exit group, had her home raided in 2016 and her store-bought helium balloon cylinder confiscated under warrant.<ref name="balloon">{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/85307936/Police-seize-voluntary-euthanasia-advocates-helium-balloon-kit |title=Police seize voluntary euthanasia advocate's helium balloon kit |work=[[Stuff.co.nz]] |date=2016-10-14 |access-date=2016-10-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170215060607/http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/85307936/police-seize-voluntary-euthanasia-advocates-helium-balloon-kit |archive-date=15 February 2017 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The confiscation of the cylinder was later found to be illegal and it was returned to her in 2018.<ref name="gisborne" />