Hemp grower Bernard Rappaz, who is convicted of cannabis dealing, has gone on hunger strike again after being returned to prison on Thursday last week.
This content was published on
1 minute
Rappaz, from canton Valais, was taken back to jail after an appeal lodged at the Federal Tribunal in Lausanne was turned down.
The appeal asked for suspension of a prison term of five years and eight months handed down by Valais authorities until they considered a request for pardon.
Rappaz’ lawyer said on Monday there was little he could do for the time being because he did not have the full details of the Federal Court’s decision.
Rappaz, who undertook a previous hunger strike earlier this year, had been under house arrest before being taken back to prison.
The Federal Court has ruled that Rappaz may be force fed if his condition warrants it, an issue which has sparked controversy over his rights as an individual.
Shortly after being put under house arrest at the end of July, the Valais authorities charged Rappaz with other offences that allegedly took place between 2002 and 2006.
They include falsifying documents, money laundering, violation of drug laws and issues relating to social benefits.
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.
Read more
More
Drug dealer Rappaz goes back to prison
This content was published on
Rappaz had called for a suspension of a prison sentence handed down to him by Valais authorities until his request for a pardon was dealt with in November by the canton’s parliament. The Federal Court in Lausanne ruled on Thursday that the necessary conditions for a suspension of the sentence did not exist. Rappaz had…
This content was published on
He began his current sentence of five years and eight month for possession of 51 tons of hemp, a crime committed between 1997 and 2001. Rappaz called his sentence an “unjust and colossal punishment”. Rappaz, who began a hunger strike shortly after he was jailed and only ended it on July 21, is now being…
This content was published on
Bernard Rappaz is now in Bern’s Insel hospital and doctors have been told by Esther Waeber-Kalbermatten, a member of the Valais government who is responsible for the dossier, to force-feed him to keep him alive. She made the decision after consultation with the Swiss Federal Court in Lausanne, which is to consider an appeal by…
This content was published on
Swiss tobacco production is on the decline; only about 400 farmers still grow this labour-intensive crop. Most of them are in the Broye Valley stretching across cantons Vaud and Fribourg. Their production covers only a small share of the tobacco consumed in Switzerland. (Text and images, Thomas Kern/swissinfo.ch)
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.