Right speaks out against gagging order

A row has broken out over whether Switzerland is moving towards a police state after the Federal Court imposed limits on what can be discussed at closed gatherings. In a ruling on Monday, the country’s highest court said anti-racism laws could be applied to neo-Nazi meetings. The decision essentially narrows the legal definition of what constitutes a private meeting. While some say the ruling should help muzzle extremist groups, the rightwing Swiss People’s Party has criticised the move as an assault on the right to free assembly. “It is one of the most serious steps ever taken by the Federal Court against the freedom and privacy rights of citizens,” said the People’s Party in a statement. The ruling concerned a neo-Nazi gathering held in September 1999, which was closed to the public and by invitation only.