Swiss politician cleared of racial discrimination charges
More then 8,000 mainly Bosnian men and boys were killed in 1995 massacre by Bosnian Serbs in and around the town of Srebrenica during the war following the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Keystone
Switzerland’s supreme court has acquitted a former politician of racial discrimination who denied a genocide against Moslems in the 1995 massacre of Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
In its verdict published on Thursday, the court refers to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, saying freedom of expression is paramount. The judges said the author of a text in the Italian-language Corriere del Ticino and on an internet portal was discriminatory and it amounted to the denial of genocide.
However, the author didn’t act with intention to discriminate others and he did not incite violence, hatred or criticism of the Moslem population, according to the judges.
Nevertheless, the Federal Court said the text, published in November 2012, lacked respect and was insulting to the victims and their families as well as members of the Moslem community.
The author of the text is Donatello Poggi, a former local politician in canton Ticino. A lower court handed down a financial penalty and a fine of CHF7,850 ($7,017) in 2013.
In a high-profile case in 2015, the ECHR cleared a prominent Turkish politician, Doğu Perinçek, of racism charges and concluded that Switzerland violated his right to freedom of speech.
More
More
Del Ponte hails ‘great day for international justice’
This content was published on
Del Ponte, a Swiss lawyer who was prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia from 1999 to 2007, had previously accused Belgrade of lacking a “focused and coordinated plan” for Mladic’s arrest, calling its handling of the case “unprofessional”. In April she told a Serbian newspaper that Mladic was in Serbia “because…
Accidents up sharply among older skiers in Switzerland
This content was published on
People over the age of 40 account for more than half of all ski injuries in Switzerland, a new study by insurance firm Suva shows.
Switzerland proposes strengthening rights of people with disabilities
This content was published on
The Swiss government is proposing a package of new legislative measures to promote inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of life.
This content was published on
The Swiss artist Kurt Laurenz Metzler, known for his colorful sculptures made of fiberglass and polyester, has died in Zurich at the age of 83.
Historic Swiss bathhouse on Lake Constance destroyed in a fire
This content was published on
In the northern Swiss town of Rorschach, the 100-year-old Badhütte (bathing hut) on the shores of Lake Constance burned down early Monday morning.
Trump picks Callista Gingrich as ambassador to Switzerland
This content was published on
Incoming United States president Donald Trump has named Callista Gingrich as the next ambassador to Switzerland. Gingrich was posted to the Vatican under Trump's previous term.
Swiss invention: 90-year anniversary of first T-bar ski lift
This content was published on
On Monday it will be 90 years since the world’s first T-bar ski lift went into service in Davos. This Swiss invention was an instant success.
Iran summons Swiss ambassador over US and Italy arrests
This content was published on
Iran has summoned the Swiss ambassador, who represents US interests, to protest against the arrest in the US and Italy of two Iranians.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Genocide denial trial raises many questions
This content was published on
The court case, which is centred on Swiss anti-racism legislation, is set to test the already shaky relations between Bern and Ankara. A meeting between Swiss Justice Minister Christoph Blocher – an opponent of the law – and his Turkish counterpart Cemil Cicek in Bern at the weekend raised eyebrows. Perinçek, the head of the…
This content was published on
With the backing of Europe’s top human rights court, a Turkish politician keeps testing Switzerland’s tolerance for freedom of speech.
Racism verdict confirmed against People’s Party officials
This content was published on
Martin Baltisser, People’s Party general secretary, and his deputy Silvia Bär had appealed to Bern’s top court after being found guilty in April 2015 for an advertising campaign featuring two Swiss who had been attacked by knife-wielding immigrants from Kosovo. The campaign, featuring a slogan “Kosovars are cutting up the Swiss!” and the true story…
This content was published on
The Society for Threatened Peoples filed a suit on Monday in cooperation with the Swiss Association Against Impunity (TRIAL) in Lausanne. La Nation, the bimonthly newspaper in question, recently published a series of articles claiming that 2,000 soldiers were killed in Srebrenica’s “pseudo-massacre”. Bosnian Serb forces overran the Muslim Bosniak town in July 1995, executing…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.