Court acquits Swiss police of death of Nigerian man
A Swiss court has acquitted six police officers on Thursday in connection with the death of Mike Ben Peter in 2018, a case that has sparked discussions about structural racism in Switzerland.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/amva
Italiano
it
Il tribunale assolve la polizia svizzera per la morte di un nigeriano
The court ruling stated that the officers were not responsible for the fatal heart attack suffered by Peter, who passed away after being held down during an arrest. While acknowledging the tragic nature of the incident, the judge maintained that the evidence presented compelled the court to acquit the officers.
Defence lawyer Jean-Emmanuel Rossel, in an interview with Reuters during the week-long trial, argued that the experts’ opinion indicated that it was not the police intervention that directly caused the death.
However, Simon Ntah, the lawyer representing the victim’s family, deemed it an “insult to intelligence” to consider the death as merely an accident.
As the verdict was announced, supporters of the victim’s family expressed their disappointment and frustration, leaving the courtroom while shouting “shame” and “scandal”! Supporters held banners outside the court in Lausanne, reading “From the USA to Switzerland, the police kill”, in reference to the George Floyd case which took place in the United States who died after an officer knelt on his neck for more than nine minutes in 2020.
Mike Ben Peter, a 39-year-old Nigerian, suffered a fatal heart attack in 2018 after being kicked and held face-down in a street in Lausanne during the arrest. Initially charged with negligent homicide, the police officers had the charge dropped by the cantonal public prosecutor, who sought their acquittal.
In a report last year, a group of U.N. experts highlighted systemic racism in Switzerland, expressing serious concerns about the “excessive use of force and the expectation of impunity by police.” The report referenced this case and a government-mandated study that acknowledged the presence of structural racism in the country.
Deeply Read
More
Science
Switzerland says it can’t afford to take part in Copernicus programme
Zelensky wants to ‘make history’ at Swiss peace summit
This content was published on
While Swiss President Viola Amherd spoke of modest objectives at the two-day Summit on Peace in Ukraine, her Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky was more proactive, saying he wanted to make history.
US announces $1.5 billion aid for Ukraine at Swiss peace summit
This content was published on
US Vice President Kamala Harris has announced more than $1.5 billion in aid in part for Ukraine’s energy sector and its humanitarian situation.
Zurich Pride: Nemo plays first gig since Eurovision triumph
This content was published on
Swiss singer Nemo performed on Friday night at Zurich’s Pride Festival. It was the artist’s first concert since winning the Eurovision Song Contest last month.
Fireworks accident caused fatal explosion in Swiss car park
This content was published on
The explosion in an underground parking garage in Nussbaumen, northern Switzerland, on Thursday evening was caused by an accident involving fireworks.
This content was published on
All over Switzerland women took to the streets today: in several cities feminist associations called for demonstrations to assert their rights. Events scheduled for the strike were numerous.
Final guest list published for Swiss summit on peace in Ukraine
This content was published on
A total of 92 countries, including almost 60 heads of state and government, will be taking part in the Summit on Peace in Ukraine.
Zurich art museum to remove suspected Nazi-looted works
This content was published on
Spurred by a new set of best practices, works by Van Gogh, Monet and Gauguin, among others, will be removed from an exhibition.
Swiss police officers on trial over black man’s death
This content was published on
Six police officers face homicide charges following the 2018 death of a black man after he was pinned, face-down, for several minutes during arrest.
Switzerland defends racism record at UN rights council
This content was published on
The Swiss Ambassador to the UN Human Rights Council has said that a report criticising structural racism in the country included “misunderstandings”.
Expert group criticises systemic racism in Switzerland
This content was published on
Black people in Switzerland face everyday discrimination as well serious racial profiling by the police, a UN working group has found.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.