Canton Geneva to pay damages over G8 incident
The canton of Geneva has been ordered to pay damages to a British press photographer injured by a stun grenade thrown by police during the 2003 anti-G8 protests.
On Wednesday the Federal Court ruled that the use of the stun grenade was unlawful in this situation. The amount of the damages has not yet been fixed.
The photographer became caught up in protests in Geneva against the G8 group of nations, meeting in June 2003 in the French town of Evian-les-Bains on Lake Geneva.
A stun grenade was thrown to disperse the demonstrators, injuring the photographer in the calf. He had to undergo several operations. In 2005 he called for SFr85,000 ($107,000) in compensation from canton Geneva.
After a lengthy legal process – canton Geneva had denied responsibility – the Federal Court said that the use of the grenade was unlawful because it had been thrown too high. It is now up to the cantonal court to decide on the level of compensation.
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