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Anarchist pensioner cleared of firework attack on Turkish consulate

Andrea Stauffacher speaking at an anti-Turkey rally in 2016 in Zurich
Andrea Stauffacher, pictured speaking at a rally in 2016 in Zurich, is a fierce critic of the Turkish regime. Keystone

A 72-year-old woman, accused of hurling fireworks at the Turkish consulate in Zurich, has had her conviction and prison sentence overturned on appeal.

The appeals court found that there was insufficient evidence to convict left-wing extremist Andrea Stauffacher of attacking the embassy in 2017.

Last year, Stauffacher was sentenced to 14 months in prison but the appeals court verdict, published on Monday, has quashed that conviction.

Stauffacher is a member of the left-wing activist group Revolutionary Structure and has been found guilty of previous firework attacks.

But on this occasion, the Zurich court ruled that traces of her DNA on a firework were insufficient evidence for a guilty verdict, despite her publicly stated opposition to the Turkish regime.

Judges said that the DNA did not prove that Stauffacher had thrown the firework into the embassy grounds.

The court also noted that federal prosecutors had been reluctant to contest the appeal but were forced to do so on the insistence of the Turkish consulate.

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