Federal Court: Convictions of "Kassensturz" journalists overturned
After Switzerland was found in violation by the European Court of Human Rights in February in connection with freedom of expression, the Federal Supreme Court granted the appeal filed by the journalists involved against the Swiss rulings.
Their convictions have therefore been overturned. The Swiss judiciary had sentenced four Swiss television journalists to fines for recording other people's conversations or for unauthorized recording of conversations. They had secretly filmed a consultation with an insurance broker. They wanted to show that the quality of advice provided by such brokers was sometimes inadequate. Although the broker did not agree to the recording being broadcast, it was shown in the Kassensturz program at the end of March 2003. However, the face of the person concerned was pixelated and his voice was made unrecognizable. The Strasbourg judges decided that the public's interest in information about the actions of brokers in the insurance sector was to be given greater weight than the protection of the personality of the person concerned (Werbewoche.ch reported). With the approval of the appeal by the four journalists, the judgments handed down to date in this matter will be set aside. (SDA)
