European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg – file image
Canton Geneva has been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights over the handling of a protest organiser fined after a Women’s Day demonstration in 2019.
The Strasbourg court ruled unanimously the canton violated the organiser’s right to freedom of assembly by holding her responsible for disturbances caused by other participants, including fireworks and graffiti during an otherwise peaceful march.
Judges criticised Swiss courts for failing to properly balance public order concerns with the right to demonstrate, calling the authorities’ interpretation of protest rules excessively broad.
The ruling could now put pressure on Geneva to review its laws governing public demonstrations.