Tyranny

A verdict handed down by a Swiss court recently has made headlines for its implications surrounding free speech and the court’s stance on what it deemed to be a crime.

French-Swiss writer Alain Bonnet, known more widely as Alain Soral, has been sentenced to 60 days in jail because of his remarks, referring to a journalist as a “fat lesbian.” Notably, his comments directed against Catherine Macherel, a correspondent for the estimable Swiss dailies, Tribune de Geneve and 24 Heures, were made in a Facebook video.

Soral, while criticizing Macherel’s work, went on to designate her as being “unhinged.” This was recounted by the Switzerland’s public broadcaster, RTS, and stirred up considerable legal attention in the country.

His conviction has generated much talk concerning censorship and the rights of free speech.