Success: Association JagdSchweiz Loses

There are people who, from our perspective, conduct their daily lives through dishonesty, harshness, and deceit.

Such individuals are frequently found banding together in hunting associations, wallowing there with like-minded peers in an ideological cesspool. Now, the criminal court of the Canton of Ticino has refused to condone the conduct of David Clavadetscher acting on behalf of the association «JagdSchweiz», dealing this approach a clear setback.

Hunting association attempts to silence critics

David Clavadetscher of the company Sandona GmbH in Zofingen repeatedly attempts, in our experience, to discredit IG Wild beim Wild and third parties on behalf of JagdSchweiz through complaints, harassment, and similar means.

Critical voices who do not conform to the ideology of the militant hunting milieu are meant — to put it in the words of hobby hunters within the association — to be “silenced” and to “disappear from the scene.”

On Friday, 17 July 2020, at 09:00, a hearing once again took place before the criminal court in Bellinzona. The occasion was a complaint filed because the fact-based reporting and analysis on wildbeimwild.com is demonstrably a thorn in the side of the hobby hunters in the upper echelons of the association JagdSchweiz. This time, the matter concerned the following:

• The smaller sibling of the German hunting association is the equally complex-ridden association «JagdSchweiz», which posts predominantly German-language content on its Facebook page, apparently in an effort to feel “big” as well.
• Board member and National Councillor (CVP) Fabio Regazzi of the militant problem association «JagdSchweiz» has repeatedly advocated in the past for practices that we regard as animal cruelty. Recently, he even attempted to rehabilitate the use of barbed hooks in fishing, but this endeavour failed decisively.
• It is because of these hobby hunters that wild animals in Switzerland suffer.
• In our view, the association JagdSchweiz and other questionable hunters' associations were established primarily to take action against predators such as foxes, lynxes, wolves and the like — that is, their competitors for prey. They continue to do so to this day. This is likely one of the main reasons why recreational hunters face criticism from all directions.
• In our assessment, the association JagdSchweiz cultivates above all a culture of disrespect and violence — the very opposite of what a civilised person in our society should aspire to. Individual hobby hunters have even threatened civil war should fox hunting, among other things, be discontinued.
• Members of the association JagdSchweiz maintain relationships with representatives of power in general. Furthermore, in our observation, functionaries and supporters repeatedly make use of imagery of violence or other means suited to intimidation — such as fearmongering, propaganda and hunters' tall tales — in order to exert influence over politics, the media, public administration, the judiciary and the economy.
• From the perspective of IG Wild beim Wild, virtually everything that is cruel, unnecessary and heartless is promoted by the association JagdSchweiz.
• In this pursuit, those responsible from the shadowy world of hunting circles spare no effort to manipulate democratic processes as well as freedom of the press and freedom of expression in their favour.

Acquittal: Criticism of hobby hunting is not defamation

After taking evidence, Judge Siro Quadri came to the conclusion that the sentences quoted above were not lies and therefore carried no defamatory character. An acquittal by the court followed.

The hobby hunter David Clavadetscher attempted to influence and manipulate the judge with falsehoods and irrelevancies. He was — once again — unable to provide any relevant information or evidence.

The conduct of a hobby hunter within the justice system is always a reflection of how he acts in nature, in politics and in society.

The ruling is final and legally binding.

JagdSchweiz was also unsuccessful before the civil court in Locarno. The proceedings that had been initiated were stayed, meaning that their objectives were not achieved there either.

The proceedings against wildbeimwild.com were an attack on critical engagement with hunting policy in Switzerland. The acquittal makes it clear that strong criticism of organizations such as JagdSchweiz is legally permissible, provided it is based on verifiable facts and serves the public interest. Those who actively participate in political and social debates cannot silence criticism through criminal complaints. The ruling strengthens freedom of expression and signals that transparency and public discourse are part of the democratic process.