Former Dutch Prime Minister, Dries van Agt, has died by euthanasia, “hand in hand” with his beloved wife Eugenie. They were both 93.

Euthanasia has been legal in The Netherlands since 2002 for those experiencing “unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement”, and there has been a considerable rise in the number of people opting to end their lives by euthanasia in recent years.

The pair had been in fragile health for some time - in 2019, van Agt suffered a brain hemorrhage while giving a speech at a commemoration event for Palestinians after which he never fully recovered.

Now, tributes have been paid to the diplomat, who was Christian Democrat prime minister of the Netherlands from 1977 until 1982. The Rights Forum, a human rights organisation which was launched by van Agt in his later years, announced the double-euthanasia on Friday.

The couple, who had been together for more than 70 years, had a farewell service and were buried in the city of Nijmegen this week. They are survived by their three children.