Swiss court reverses acquittal, imposes fines on defendants in ‘kill Erdogan’ banner case

The Bern Canton High Court in Switzerland today overturned the acquittals of four defendants involved in displaying a banner targeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during a rally seven years ago, media reports said. The ruling is a reversal of a verdict in 2022, when the defendants were initially acquitted, according to reports from the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper and Swissinfo.ch. Each of the defendants has been fined varying amounts, totaling 11,000 Swiss Francs ($12,246), for their involvement in the controversial display. The judgement stemmed from an assessment of the banner, which depicted a gun aimed at Erdogan’s head, accompanied by the word “kill”. The court expressed difficulty in interpreting “kill” in any other context other than as a direct incitement to […]