Slovenians began voting Sunday in a new referendum that will determine if a law legalising assisted dying will be enforced or suspended, after critics mounted a campaign against the legislation.

Several European countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland allow terminally ill people to receive medical help to end their lives.

Slovenia's parliament approved a law in July allowing assisted dying after a 2024 referendum supported it.

But a new vote was called after a civil group, backed by the Catholic Church and the conservative parliamentary opposition, gathered 46,000 signatures in favour of a repeat, exceeding the 40,000 required.

The law will come into force unless a majority of participants, representing at least 20 percent of the 1.7 million eligible vote

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