Zurich court partially acquits pro-Palestine university squatters

The Zurich District Court partially acquitted four more pro-Palestine activists who had occupied the main hall of Federal Institute of Technology ETH Zurich in May 2024. + Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Three defendants were found guilty of trespassing. In one case, there was no valid criminal complaint, said the judge at the opening of the judgement. The accused received conditional fines of 30 daily rates of CHF30 and CHF60 respectively. Probationary periods of two years apply. + Why Switzerland doesn’t recognise a Palestinian state "ETH has domiciliary rights. This was enforced," explained the judge. The participants in the sit-in had been warned in advance and many had reacted accordingly. The defendants could have done the same. The court did not accept arguments such as a state of emergency or the invocation of the Genocide Convention. "They would also have had legal opportunities to draw attention to the situation in Gaza," the court ruled. For ...