Zurich District Court acquits Islam critic Keller-Messahli of defamation charge
Zurich District Court has acquitted Saïda Keller-Messahli of defamation. The publicist had linked Muslim associations with radical organisations.
Acquittal for Islam critic in Zurich
Zurich District Court has acquitted publicist and Islam critic Saïda Keller-Messahli of defamation, according to watson.ch. Keller-Messahli had expressed critical views on political Islam and Muslim associations in media appearances.
The judge stated at the verdict announcement that it remained unclear whether the statement in question was defamatory. That a Muslim association be linked with extremist organisations could certainly be dishonourable.
Core of the dispute
According to the complaint from the Muslim associations bringing the case, Keller-Messahli had improperly associated the Union Vaudoise des Associations Musulmanes (Uvam) and the Association of Islamic Organisations Zurich (Vioz) with radical Islamist organisations. In an interview with "Le Matin Dimanche" in April 2024, she had stated that a member of the board of the Uvam was previously part of the radical Islamist FIS party in Algeria, which had murdered tens of thousands of people. "I submitted sufficient evidence for this," Keller-Messahli said in court.
The defence did not dispute the statement but pointed to a clarification published later in "Le Matin Dimanche", in which a representative of the Uvam denied that the person in question was part of the board. However, he did not deny that she had sat on the Imam Council, an organisation of the Uvam. For the court, this was the decisive point: "You cannot produce better exculpatory evidence than that," said the judge.
Objections dismissed
The defence additionally demanded an acquittal, arguing that an association as a legal entity cannot have its honour injured. The court dismissed this objection — such an injury to honour was certainly possible. The objection that Keller-Messahli had no control over her own statements, since the media company had published them, was also not upheld.
The defence also pointed to recent developments: the chief theologian of the Vioz had resigned from his positions just over the weekend. He faces accusations of homophobic remarks and participation in a conference in Doha, which is reportedly connected with the Muslim Brotherhood, according to the "Tages-Anzeiger".
Security measures and case constellation
The trial took place under heightened security measures; police officers checked visitors. Representatives of the Vioz were initially present but left the courtroom after the judge determined that no valid criminal complaint had been filed by them. Representatives of the Uvam were absent, but their criminal complaint was valid.
Keller-Messahli did not comment further on the accusations during the hearing. "I have said all I have to say," declared the 69-year-old.
Background
The District Court had originally demanded an expansion of the charges to include the journalist who conducted the interview. Zurich's Higher Court upheld a complaint by the Uvam against this in December 2025, so the proceedings proceeded as originally planned, only against Keller-Messahli.
On 5 September 2025, Zurich District Court had already acquitted the publicist in a similar proceeding in which she had faced an official of the Uvam association. Some charges were time-barred, and other statements by the 69-year-old were classified as legitimate.
The current judgment is not yet final and can be appealed to the Higher Court.
Source: Google News CH — Crime (de)