Punishment for an opinion? Swiss man sent to prison for comment on gender

In Switzerland, Emanuel Brünisholz was sentenced to ten days in prison after refusing to pay a fine for his comment on Facebook, reports the website European Conservative.

In response to a post by politician Andreas Glarner, he wrote in December 2022 that “after 200 years, we will only find men and women based on skeletons; everything else is a mental illness promoted by textbooks.”

The authorities then charged him with publicly disparaging LGBT people on the basis of an article in the Criminal Code that has also included the protection of sexual identity since 2020.

The fine of 500 francs, which he refused to pay, was converted by the court into a ten-day prison sentence. After an unsuccessful appeal, a further fee of 600 francs was added.

(mja)