European Court of Human Rights rules against Switzerland over vegan meals in detention
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered Switzerland to pay 26,000 euros in compensation. The ruling stems from the treatment of two vegan activists who were detained following a protest. During their time in custody, the individuals were not provided with vegan meals, which led to a legal dispute.
The activists had argued that the refusal to provide a vegan diet violated their beliefs. The Swiss authorities were unable to offer the individuals meals during their pre-trial detention that aligned with their ethical and vegan principles. The court in Strasbourg has now deemed this a violation of human rights.
The ruling makes it clear that state institutions must take the ideological beliefs of detainees into account when housing them. The judges emphasized that Switzerland cannot simply ignore the religious or ethical convictions of detainees, provided that it is possible to accommodate them without disproportionate effort.
Switzerland must now pay the compensation sum to the two activists. The verdict could have far-reaching consequences for the organization of the Swiss penal system. It is expected that the authorities will have to review their guidelines for prison catering in order to avoid future conflicts of this nature.