Racial discrimination: Zurich SVP politician in court
SVP politician in court-Eritrean complains: « I am here because I suffer from the consequences of the SVP-Hetze »
On Wednesday, the former Zurich SVP President Patrick Walder had to answer to the judge. The accusation: agitation against Eritreaner. But he does not see himself as a perpetrator, but as a victim.
One side speaks of discrimination and agitation, which is worthy of det about, the other sees itself as the victim of a political process. On Wednesday, SVP politician Patrick Walder had to answer for racial discrimination against the Uster district court.
The case that is about is six years ago: In summer 2019, the SVP of the canton of Zurich sent a media release. The occasion: At Frankfurt Central Station, an Eritrean had pushed a boy (8) the day before and his mother in front of an incoming train. The child died. The perpetrator had once come to Switzerland as a refugee and was later declared guilty for paranoid schizophrenia.
The Zurich SVP wrote in the media release that « the tab has always been sentenced to eritreans ». And in the next sentence: « This hideous act once again shows that such people are non -integrable violent offenders who have lost nothing in Switzerland. » Patrick Walder led the party interimistic at this point.
« Never felt so undesirable »
Samira Abbe, one of three private plaintiffs, described in court that she came across the announcement on the Zurich SVP website. « I have never felt as undesirable as that day, » says the Eritish-Swiss double citizen. « I was stunned. » She had already experienced racism because of her hair color or crauses. « But since the SVP’s agitation it has been a different kind of racism. »
Semira Abbe from the Eritreig Media Association is one of the private plaintiffs.
Walder and his defense lawyer, the well-known milieu lawyer Valentin Landmann, also argued that the message clearly does not refer to all Eritreans, but only on violent perpetrators. The opposite side assesses this differently differently.
The court will announce the judgment next Wednesday. Walder’s defense lawyer calls for an acquittal – the public prosecutor’s office. And the plaintiffs are a public apology.
