Wuppertal - A German court on Wednesday jailed a 23-year-old man for selling a deadly mix of pills over the Internet to people who wanted to
commit suicide.
The regional court in the western city of Wuppertal convicted the defendant, an Albanian citizen named Kejdi Skendo, on 16 counts of illegally selling medication and sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison.
Skendo sold the pills containing Truxal and Luminal, normally used to treat epilepsy and psychosis, online between November 2004 and May 2005. He obtained the medication with faked prescriptions.
At least two people died after taking the lethal cocktail of medications and seven others slipped into a temporary coma.
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He pulled in 7 880 euros ($10 250), a digital camera and two laptop computers with the business he operated from his bedroom in his parents' home.
"The defendant acted with a particular lack of scruples and with criminal intent," the presiding judge said, adding that it was especially shocking that he had not stopped selling the pills after
hearing about the suffering of survivors.
He had peddled the pills on Internet forums for suicidal people under the pseudonyms Buddha and Paul de Vitt, promising a "clean departure".
Skendo sold packages of pills to 18 people, the youngest of whom was 19 years old.
He admitted to the charges when the trial began in December, saying he wanted to help desperate people.
The prosecution had demanded five years in prison for violating the laws on distributing pharmaceuticals.
Germany has no law against assisting suicide.
The German Hospice Foundation said the case underscored the need for better legislation.
"The Internet in particular represents a platform with almost unlimited possibilities" for a trade in assisted suicide, foundation chairperson Eugen Brysch said. Sapa
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