She was sentenced in January 2014 to a fine of CHF500 ($563) for begging in Geneva on a public highway. The woman, who had no work and was not receiving social assistance, was then placed in pre-trial detention for five days for not paying the fine.
However, the Strasbourg-based court said on Tuesday that the sanction was not proportionate either to the aim of fighting organised crime or of protecting the rights of passers-by, residents and business owners.
“Placed in a situation of manifest vulnerability, the applicant had the right, inherent to human dignity, to be able to express her distress and try to remedy her needs by begging,” said the European court. It said Switzerland had violated Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights on protecting the right to respect for private and family life.
The court ordered Switzerland to pay the applicant €922 for non-pecuniary damage.
Begging is banned in most Swiss cantons, but associations working with the marginalised say bans are hitting the most vulnerable.
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Ban on begging hits Switzerland’s most vulnerable
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In one canton where begging has been outlawed, the authorities are satisfied with the results, but those affected are suffering great hardship.
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Swiss cities targeted by Russian hackers during WEF
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Russian hackers have targeted canton Schaffhausen and the cities of Geneva and Sierre, paralysing their websites on Wednesday morning.
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Paul Hottinguer, a member of one of Switzerland’s most famous banking families, will face trial in Paris for tax fraud and money laundering.
Swiss man who died in Iranian prison had photographed military site
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The Iranian judiciary said that the Swiss man who died in an Iranian prison on January 9 had been detained for photographing a restricted military site.
Swiss researchers patent new device for avalanche detection
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The WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research said it has granted a group of Swiss researchers a patent for a device to enhance avalanche warnings.
Berset discusses ECHR climate ruling implementation at Davos
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Switzerland has submitted a report on the court's ruling in Strasbourg. Berset told Justice Minister Beat Jans that the Council of Europe is reviewing it.
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A 27-year-old ski tourer has died in the hospital in Sion, in southwestern Switzerland, after being caught in an avalanche on Saturday.
Swiss health minister criticises Trump’s ‘rash’ WHO exit
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Switzerland has expressed “deep” regret over Trump’s decision to withdraw from the WHO, Swiss Health Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider said in Davos.
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Job vacancies in Switzerland fell by 10% in 2024, marking the first negative annual balance since the Covid-19 pandemic, says Adecco.
Swiss president meets Zelensky in Davos amid tensions with Europe
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Swiss President met Zelensky at Davos. As Zelensky thanked Switzerland, Keller-Sutter said it's too early to discuss a new summit, awaiting Trump's actions.
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Following the Roma in Lausanne and Romania
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The photographer Yves Leresche documented the lives of Roma beggars in Lausanne for five years the before the ban came into force in 2018.
Why living on the breadline is especially hard in Switzerland
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Switzerland is one of the richest countries in the world. But high living costs put people on low income under huge pressure.
Vaud begging ban to come into force, court confirms
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A disputed law banning begging in canton Vaud will indeed come into force, the Swiss Federal Court has confirmed, rejecting an appeal.
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A move to ban begging in canton Vaud, now tied up in the courts, raises the question whether such a law undermines fundamental human rights.
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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.