Trial Zurich court sentences Sanija Ameti to a conditional fine
On Wednesday, the District Court of Zurich found the former GLP politician Sanija Ameti guilty of violating freedom of belief. Here are the most important points.
28.01.2026, 15:17
28.01.2026, 16:36
SDA
Why was Ameti convicted?
"You have shot a central image of Christianity in the head," said the judge in the opening of the verdict. "In doing so, you took the risk of hurting the feelings of devout Christians." According to the court, the death threats Ameti received after the Instagram post in September 2024 and the massive police presence at Wednesday's trial show that "religious peace was disturbed". Fortunately, Christians are peaceful.
What is the sentence?
The district court sentenced Ameti to a conditional fine of 60 daily rates of 50 francs, plus a fine of 500 francs. The public prosecutor's office had demanded 100 daily rates of 100 francs. The district court thus followed the prosecution's requests in terms of content, but was lenient in its sentencing.
Why is the sentence lower than requested?
"We assume in your favor that you did not set out to denigrate Christianity," said the judge. Professional stress and traumatic experiences during the Bosnian war had led to the ill-considered posting on Instagram. This leads to fewer daily sentences than the public prosecutor had demanded - 60 instead of the required 100 daily sentences. The fact that Ameti no longer had a job or a political career after her "shooting exercise to switch off" also reduces the daily rate from 100 to 50 francs. The daily rate is calculated on the basis of income.
What did Ameti say?
Sanija Ameti did not want to make any statements in court. Not a word was heard from her during the entire trial. In his plea, her lawyer demanded an acquittal to no avail. Ameti's shots were not an attack on the convictions of others, but an effect of her war trauma, he said. During the Bosnian war, Ameti's older brother was killed in front of her eyes. She had wanted to destroy the faces to numb her pain. After the Instagram post, she talked to her mother about her brother's death for the first time after more than thirty years of silence.
Does the prosecutor believe her?
"Whoever believes it is blessed," said the public prosecutor in his plea. "She must have seen the faces of Mary and Jesus." Ameti had planned to put such a post on Instagram from the outset. It was a blatant provocation without a clear motive. The public prosecutor condemned the "shit hurricane" that Ameti was confronted with after her Instagram post. And he criticized the fact that the politician had to be placed under police protection "because of a few mental low-flyers". "But Ms Ameti must also abide by the law."
Who was in the audience?
The trial against the once celebrated young political star attracted crowds of spectators. Many of them had reported Ameti to the police themselves and came from right-wing and religious circles. One of the private plaintiffs present was Nils Fiechter, president of the Young SVP. Ameti had violated his freedom of belief as a devout Christian. These shots were "the language of terrorism". The lawyer for an entire group of plaintiffs said that Ameti had "insulted millions of Christians".
Is there money for hurt feelings?
25 people, including Massvoll President Nicolas Rimoldi and Nils Fiechter from the SVP, have constituted themselves as private plaintiffs. They are demanding compensation from Ameti for their hurt religious feelings. The claims range from a symbolic franc to 1,000 francs. However, the court referred these claims to civil proceedings. There was no evidence that anyone was strongly affected. They will not receive any money for the lawyer.
The judgment is not yet legally binding. Both Ameti and the public prosecutor's office can appeal to the Supreme Court.
