UN experts concerned by prosecution of ETH Zurich pro-Palestine protesters – JURIST

UN experts raised serious concerns on Tuesday over the criminal prosecution of several students who protested against the research partnerships of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) with Israel.

A group of UN Special Rapporteurs, including Francesca Albanese and other UN independent experts, openly disagreed with the ETH Zurich board’s decision to pursue criminal sanctions against a group of pro-Palestinian students protesting in its halls. According to the UN experts, “Universities, especially those receiving public funding, have a legal obligation to uphold human rights standards and refrain from supporting, directly or indirectly, any unlawful acts or occupations, such as Israel’s control over the occupied Palestinian territory.” They urged Switzerland to uphold its human rights obligations, such as reviewing its potential complicity in war crimes because of its universities’ research partnerships.

Around 70 pro-Palestinian activists protested inside the university building in May 2024. Police forces broke up the protests, and several students were charged with trespassing. According to the UN press release, 38 students received penal orders. Local media also confirmed that in October 2025, the Zurich District Court partially acquitted four activists, while three protesters were found guilty of trespassing. The UN experts reiterated the students’ right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, which cannot result in criminal sanctions. This right is protected under Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), to which Switzerland is a party.

Students demanded “transparency and disengagement from research linked to the Israeli military-industrial complex.” Ulrich Weidmann, Vice President for Infrastructure and ETH Zurich’s chief security officer, explained that “ETH Zurich does not offer a platform for political activism; political neutrality is important to us.” Weidmann added, “It is not the role of a university to take political positions.” The UN experts seem to disagree, as academic research with military application can result in potential complicity in international crimes. Protests in universities over partnerships with Israeli institutions also occurred in other countries, as in May 2024 the University of Amsterdam closed due to pro-Palestinian protests.

Israel has been accused of committing both war crimes and crimes against humanity for its actions in Gaza. The UN regularly updates the humanitarian situation in Gaza, as reports of civilian Palestinian casualties by Israeli military attacks continue to surge. A UN panel also found Israel guilty of the international crime of genocide in September 2025. Because of this, European complicity in the commission of international crimes against the Palestinian people remains a topic of discussion.