Switzerland has challenged a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg that the country’s ban on demonstrations at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic violated the European Convention.
Swiss authorities presented their case to the Grand Chamber of the Court yesterday saying that the ban had been necessary to safeguard public health.
When the pandemic hit Europe in 2020, the Federal Council had prohibited any public or private demonstrations between March the 16th and May the 30th. The ban was gradually relaxed, finally being lifted on June the 20th, subject to demonstrators wearing a mask.
In its first judgement, the European Court of Human Rights said that Article 11 of the European Convention, which enshrines the freedom of assembly and association, had been violated.
Following yesterday’s hearing, the Grand Chamber is expected to release its findings at the end of this year or the beginning of next.
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