The Federal Court made the decision on Thursday in the case of an Afghan man who was sentenced in July 2018 to nine years behind bars for a series of charges, including the attempted premeditated murder of his wife. He appealed and that trial is still pending.
In January, the man wanted to hand over CHF4,000 ($4,100) to another person that he had earned while in prison. However, the money was confiscated to secure the costs of legal proceedings, following an order by the president of the criminal division of the high court of canton Nidwalden in central Switzerland.
The prisoner successfully appealed to the Federal Supreme Court. In their verdict, the Lausanne-based judges stated that the salary was an unseizable asset.
Because most prisoners are over-indebted, a seizure of wages would have an adverse effect on their motivation to work and thus on safety in the penal system, the court explained in its judgement.
Prisoners would also be unable to save anything for the time after their release, which would be detrimental to rehabilitation, the judges reasoned.
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Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
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On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
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The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
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The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
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The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
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The long road to the Geneva Conventions of 1949
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Seventy years ago, Switzerland achieved a diplomatic coup in organising a major diplomatic conference in 1949 to revise the Geneva Conventions.
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Chinese researcher in ‘economic warfare’ case loses appeal
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A Chinese scientist, accused by the US of helping to steal trade secrets, must remain in Swiss custody due to flight risk, says a federal court.
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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.