Case of Swiss activists opposed to military service ends in acquittal
Three climate activists from the canton of Vaud who called for people to refuse military service have finally been acquitted.
The Office of the Attorney General announced on Tuesday that it would not appeal against the Federal Criminal Court’s ruling from last July.
The activists’ lawyers reacted happily to the decision. “This is an important victory for freedom of expression, but one that should not obscure the direct attack on freedom of expression that this trial represented,” they said in a statement.
Overall, the case not only leaves a high bill for the state, but also and above all a feeling of waste due to disproportionate criminal action, the statement noted. The case resulted in freedom of expression suffering a serious blow.
On July 27, the criminal court acquitted the three young men, aged 21, 23 and 32, of charges of inciting them to violate military service obligations. The costs of the case were awarded to the federal government and the three activists were compensated for their legal fees.
The defendants were initially sentenced to conditional fines by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office because they had published an article entitled “The Army, I Boycott” on the climate strike’s website in May 2020. “Out of ethics, morality, ecological and social responsibility,” they called for people to refuse military service.
An Swiss People’s Party politician later filed a criminal complaint with the Federal Prosecutor’s Office against unknown persons on suspicion of inciting a violation of military service obligations.
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