A Swiss court has acquitted six police officers on Thursday in connection with the death of Mike Ben Peter in 2018, a case that has sparked discussions about structural racism in Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/amva
Italiano
it
Il tribunale assolve la polizia svizzera per la morte di un nigeriano
The court ruling stated that the officers were not responsible for the fatal heart attack suffered by Peter, who passed away after being held down during an arrest. While acknowledging the tragic nature of the incident, the judge maintained that the evidence presented compelled the court to acquit the officers.
Defence lawyer Jean-Emmanuel Rossel, in an interview with Reuters during the week-long trial, argued that the experts’ opinion indicated that it was not the police intervention that directly caused the death.
However, Simon Ntah, the lawyer representing the victim’s family, deemed it an “insult to intelligence” to consider the death as merely an accident.
As the verdict was announced, supporters of the victim’s family expressed their disappointment and frustration, leaving the courtroom while shouting “shame” and “scandal”! Supporters held banners outside the court in Lausanne, reading “From the USA to Switzerland, the police kill”, in reference to the George Floyd case which took place in the United States who died after an officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes in 2020.
Mike Ben Peter, a 39-year-old Nigerian, suffered a fatal heart attack in 2018 after being kicked and held face-down in a street in Lausanne during the arrest. Initially charged with negligent homicide, the police officers had the charge dropped by the cantonal public prosecutor, who sought their acquittal.
In a report last year, a group of U.N. experts highlighted systemic racism in Switzerland, expressing serious concerns about the “excessive use of force and the expectation of impunity by police.” The report referenced this case and a government-mandated study that acknowledged the presence of structural racism in the country.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Arrests made in raid against Turkish criminal organisation
This content was published on
A cross-border raid against a Turkish criminal organisation was conducted, including property searches in cantons Aargau and Zurich.
Up to 4,000 Swiss army soldiers to protect Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The Federal Council has authorised deployment of army personnel for the Ukraine peace conference on the Bürgenstock in June.
This content was published on
The business association, Swissmem, reports that there are increasing signs that the bottom of the downturn will be reached this year.
Swiss police officers on trial over black man’s death
This content was published on
Six police officers face homicide charges following the 2018 death of a black man after he was pinned, face-down, for several minutes during arrest.
Switzerland defends racism record at UN rights council
This content was published on
The Swiss Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council has said that a report criticising structural racism in the country included “misunderstandings”.
Expert group criticises systemic racism in Switzerland
This content was published on
Black people in Switzerland face everyday discrimination as well serious racial profiling by the police, a UN working group has found.
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.