Zurich court partially acquits ETH squatters
Keystone-SDA
The Zurich District Court partially acquitted four more pro-Palestine activists who had occupied the main hall of Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich in May 2024.
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Three defendants were found guilty of trespassing. In one case, there was no valid criminal complaint, said the judge at the opening of the judgement. The accused received conditional fines of 30 daily rates of CHF30 and CHF60 respectively. Probationary periods of two years apply.
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“ETH has domiciliary rights. This was enforced,” explained the judge. The participants in the sit-in had been warned in advance and many had reacted accordingly. The defendants could have done the same.
The court did not accept arguments such as a state of emergency or the invocation of the Genocide Convention. “They would also have had legal opportunities to draw attention to the situation in Gaza,” the court ruled. For example, the ETH management had signalled a willingness to talk in advance.
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Accused must bear costs
All four were acquitted of the charge of taking part in an unauthorised demonstration. The municipal police regulations do not apply at the ETH, which belongs to the federal government, said the judge.
The costs of the investigation and trial will be imposed on all seven defendants sentenced on Tuesday. The judgements are not yet final. The lawyer for the pro-Palestine activists announced an appeal in the courtroom.
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Translated from German by DeepL/mga
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