U.N. human rights experts have lodged a protest with Swiss authorities after a number of students were sentenced for trespassing for their participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at a Swiss-funded higher education institution, the experts said in a statement.
According to the experts, roughly 70 students at ETH Zurich took part in a peaceful sit-in in May 2024 as part of wider student demonstrations staged in several cities during the Gaza war. The sit-in participants were said to be opposing the Swiss facilitys partnerships with Israeli universities. Police dispersed the encampment at the time, the experts said.
The U.N. team emphasised that peaceful student activism both on and off campus constitutes a form of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and "must not be criminalised." They added that they have written to both the Swiss government and the university to raise concerns about the handling of the protests.
"Peaceful student activism, on and off campus, is part of students' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and must not be criminalised," the experts said.
Legal outcomes to date, reported by the experts, include five students who have been sentenced for trespassing. Those convictions carried suspended fines of up to 2,700 Swiss francs (equal to $3,516.08) and legal fees exceeding 2,000 Swiss francs (equal to $2,604.85), in addition to the criminal records recorded against the individuals. The experts observed that such convictions are often sought by prospective employers.
Ten other students who challenged the charges are awaiting sentencing following appeals, while two defendants were acquitted, the experts said. The U.N. group has communicated its objections to the Swiss authorities and the institution but noted that there has been no immediate reply from the university or from the Swiss Federal Ministry of Justice and Police to requests for comment.
The U.N. experts' intervention centers on the principle that non-violent campus protest is a protected form of civic participation. Their communication to Swiss officials seeks clarification and redress regarding the criminal proceedings and the penalties imposed, though further details on any responses or subsequent legal developments were not provided in the experts' statement.
Information limitations: The experts' statement relays the facts outlined above; it does not provide additional detail about individual cases beyond the fines, legal costs and the number of students involved, nor does it report any replies from Swiss authorities or the university.