Police can prevent hooligans attending matches
Switzerland’s highest court has ruled that the detention of “incorrigible” football hooligans is compatible with European human rights law.
The so-called hooligan concordat, agreed by all Swiss cantons and which came into force at the beginning of 2010, includes such measures as preventative custody for the duration of a match, exclusion orders and the obligation to report to police stations at regular intervals.
The police are also allowed to pass the names of violent offenders to clubs and the management of stadiums.
A number of individuals and organisations had appealed against Zurich’s decision to adhere to the concordat.
By a majority of four to one, the Federal Court in Lausanne decided that preventative detention, which is limited to a maximum of 24 hours, does not violate the European Convention on Human Rights, when other measures have proved ineffective.
The court pointed out that the concordat enables Switzerland to meet its international obligations in dealing with hooliganism.
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