Federal Court clears Swiss journalist in 3D-printed gun case

Parts of 'The Liberator', which was said to be the world's first 3-D printable handgun, 2013. Keystone-SDA

The Federal Court has acquitted a journalist from Swiss public television, RTS, who had been fined over a TV investigation into the dangers of 3D-printed weapons.

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In a press release published on Thursday, RTS welcomed the ruling handed down by the Federal Court over a TV investigation into a “Liberator”, a pistol made from plastic using a 3D printer.

In 2019, the RTS journalist made a programme to demonstrate how easy it is to manufacture such a weapon in Switzerland and to highlight the dangers.

The RTS investigation resulted in a court handing down a suspended 60-day fine for violating Swiss weapons law. The Federal Court ruled in the journalist’s favour after five years of proceedings.

According to the Geneva Attorney General, as well as the Police Court and the Court of Justice, the journalist knew that police authorisation was needed to obtain such a weapon but did not do so.

‘Should set precedent’

RTS contested the earlier verdict. The lawyer representing RTS and the journalist argued that there was no point in criminally sanctioning a journalist whose sole aim was to serve the public.

“It is first of all a great relief for our journalist and for the RTS which supported her during more than five years of proceedings,” said the RTS news editor-in-chief Pierre-Olivier Volet. “It is a strong decision in favour of freedom of the press and a true recognition of the role of investigative journalists in our society.”

“The Federal Court has validated the fact that journalists can take certain risks if they pursue a goal of public interest and demonstrate diligence,” said the journalist’s lawyer, Mr. Soussi.

Reporters Without Borders Switzerland welcomed the Federal Court judgment: “This decision, which gives priority to freedom of the press over the strict application of criminal law to journalists, should set a precedent.”

Translated from French by DeepL/sb

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