Far-right Franco-Swiss essayist Alain Soral to serve prison sentence in Switzerland

The federal court, the highest legal body in Switzerland, confirmed this prison sentence, after the conviction of Alain Soral for his homophobic remarks towards a journalist.

A decision “historical” which will set a precedent, according to LGBTQ+ associations. The far-right Franco-Swiss essayist Alain Soral, convicted for his homophobic comments towards a journalist, will have to serve a prison sentence. The Federal Court, the highest legal body in Switzerland, confirmed, Thursday April 18, the second instance conviction of Alain Soral pronounced in October 2023. The prison sentence is however reduced from 60 to 40 days for reasons of procedure.

Real name Alain Bonnet, Alain Soral, who has lived in Lausanne since the end of 2019, had, at first instance, escaped prison in Switzerland but was fined for defamation for insulting comments about a journalist Daily The Geneva Tribune which he had described as “fat lesbian”. On appeal, the Cantonal Court also found discrimination and incitement to hatred based on sexual orientation.

After the second instance judgment, the 65-year-old essayist, regularly convicted of insults, appealed and requested in particular to be acquitted of the charge of discrimination and incitement to hatred within the meaning of article 261 bis of the Code criminal, a provision extended since July 2020 to discrimination based on sexual orientation, in addition to that linked to skin color, origin or religion. But for the Federal Court, it does not “no doubt that the appellant’s message tended to arouse and excite a feeling of hatred because of sexual orientation”.

“This judgment sends a clear message”

For their part, the Pink Cross and LOS (Swiss Lesbian Organization) associations welcome a “historic victory” in the fight against homophobia, which will set a precedent in Switzerland. It is “the first conviction by the High Court for incitement to homophobic hatred since the extension of article 261 bis of the Penal Code”, explained Gaé Colussi, a manager at Pink Cross, in a joint press release.

“This judgment sends a clear message: such cases will henceforth be taken very seriously and such comments have no place in the public space”, note the organizations. These demand the extension of the criminal norm “to gender identity, so that all queer-phobic incitements to hatred can be condemned, including those targeting trans people.”