Swiss ban appeal

The Swiss Evangelical Alliance (SEA) has expressed support for three evangelicals who are appealing new restrictions on the wearing of religious symbols for lawmakers in Geneva, stating that such measures effectively see their religious beliefs “banished”.

Despite a 2019 ban on such symbols in the Grand Council – Geneva’s cantonal parliament – being reversed in the courts, a new version of the ban has narrowly passed with slim majorities in parliament and the public vote. However, Markus Hofer, Joseph Kabongo and Michael Mutzner have appealed the ban, believing it to be unlawful.

The SEA has expressed its support for the complainants in a statement, highlighting that the bill disproportionately impacts all faiths, despite debate primarily focusing on the Islamic headscarf. It says that asking elected officials in the canton to make their beliefs “invisible”, “represents a particularly severe restriction of religious freedom” and “raises important questions” about “fundamental rights”.