Switzerland sued in Strasbourg for racial profiling

Switzerland is being sued for racial profiling in Strasbourg Keystone-SDA

An alleged victim of racial profiling is taking his case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg. Wilson A. from Nigeria was allegedly attacked by police officers in Zurich in 2009.

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The now 52-year-old wants to prevent future cases of racial profiling and racist police violence, he said on Tuesday. The Swiss justice system apparently does not want to tackle its own institutionalised racism, he said.

This was triggered by an incident in October 2009, when Wilson A. was on the tram home from a party in Zurich with a friend who was also dark-skinned. A policeman and a policewoman demanded to see their IDs, according to Wilson A. solely because of the colour of their skin.

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He said the police officers then pounced on him for no reason, hit him with pepper spray and punches and choked him. The police officers involved were acquitted. According to the police, Wilson A. behaved uncooperatively and aggressively from the outset.

Adapted from German by AI/ts

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