The Aargau SVP politician Naveen Hofstetter (40) has been found guilty by the cantonal high court of racial discrimination and incitement to hatred. The chairman of the local SVP party Rothrist collects a conditional fine of 70 daily rates of 170 francs. There is also a fine of CHF 2,500. The verdict is not yet legally binding.
Last year, Hofstetter had made a blanket statement on Facebook regarding marriage to all Africans as pedophile rapists. After being criticized for it, he deleted that part of the post. But he went on to say that “it’s just the reality” that “often the youngest girls are sexually harassed by men of African descent.” He also wrote in another post that marriage was a step for all towards further calls for the adoption of children from “unnatural partnerships”. The Aargau SP Landraad member Gabriela Suter (49) then filed a criminal complaint against Hofstetter.
punishment increased
In the oral justification, the Supreme Court spoke in the Facebook posts of a “conscious choice of words” by Hofstetter. He had time to write. According to the Supreme Court, the writer humiliated an ethnic group and people because of their sexual orientation.
The Supreme Court thus confirmed the April verdict by a single judge at the Zofingen District Court and also imposed a fine. Hofstetter had appealed the verdict and demanded acquittal, just as he did in court.
He had “expressed himself in the wrong words,” he said before the Supreme Court. His sentences were “insanely exaggerated”. He is concerned about the different cultures in Switzerland. His lawyer pointed out that the statements were written in the context of a political dispute.
The public prosecutor demanded a conviction and a fine of 90 daily rates and a fine of 4,000 francs. The statements in the Facebook posts were “not a quick shot”.
“They Wanted Attention”
The Supreme Court described the additional fine of 2,500 francs as a “significant penalty”. In political discussions one may simplify and exaggerate, according to the court president. However, any criticism must be factual.
“They wanted attention, and they got it – but also from the police and prosecutors,” said the court president. There is a bit of brutalization of morality in politics. Legally, however, there is “no leeway”. (SDA/lha)