Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Federal court rejects appeal by tennis stunt climate activists

Climate activists at Lausanne Credit Suisse branch on November 22, 2018.
Climate activists took over a Lausanne branch of Credit Suisse bank on November 22, 2018, to draw attention to the bank's climate policy and investments. They urged tennis star Roger Federer to cancel his sponsorship deal with the bank because of its fossil fuel investments. © Keystone / Martial Trezzini

Switzerland’s highest court has rejected an appeal by 12 climate activists who staged a tennis stunt at Credit Suisse, upholding their conviction for trespassing.

The Federal Court dismissed their argument that they had taken emergency action because of the “imminent danger” of global warming.

“At the moment of the action, there was no current and immediate danger in the sense of the criminal emergency regulation,” it said in a statement on Friday.

In November 2018, the activists staged a protest at Credit Suisse in the western Swiss city of Lausanne. Some of them dressed in tennis whites and simulated tennis matches inside its premises. They wanted Swiss tennis star Roger Federer to drop his sponsorship deal with the bank because of its fossil fuels investments.

In a surprise initial ruling last year, a local court acquitted them on grounds that “imminent danger” of global warming had driven their actions. But that was overturned by an appeals court, whose decision has now been confirmed.

“The Federal Court is on the wrong side of history,” defence lawyers said in a statement. They said the activists will take now their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

Most Read
Swiss Abroad

Most Discussed

News

No Swiss bank in phase with environmental objectives

More

Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF

This content was published on None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.

Read more: Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF
UNRWA provides emergency assistance to just over one million Palestine refugees, or about 75 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Gaza, who lack the financial means to cover their basic food.

More

Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

This content was published on The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Read more: Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR