A Swiss man is on trial for ‘liking’ Facebook posts that accused an animal rights activist of racism and anti-Semitism. The prosecution has accused him of defamation in the landmark case. The 45-year-old defendant from Zurich is facing charges after becoming involved in an online argument within the animal rights community – by merely ‘liking’ eight Facebook posts. Those posts accused Erwin Kessler,
the president of the animal protection association Vereins gegen Tierfabriken, of racism and anti-Semitism. Kessler has now pressed charges against the ‘liker’, citing defamation, Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger reported on Monday. The prosecution claims that by ‘liking’ the posts, the defendant spread their content by making them visible to a larger audience. It also claims that the 45-year-old acted with intent to harm without justifiable cause. MORE
