CNA Staff, Dec 5, 2020 / 04:40 am
A court suspended Thursday a ban on public worship in the Swiss canton of Geneva regarded as one of the broadest measures restricting public religious gatherings in Europe.
The Constitutional Chamber of the Canton of Geneva issued the order Dec. 3 after concerned citizens brought a legal challenge to the ban introduced on Nov. 1 by local authorities seeking to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Public religious services can now resume in the city of Geneva, known as the "human rights capital of the world," and surrounding areas until the court hands down its final judgment on the ban.
The court indicated that the legal challenge had a high chance of succeeding. It also noted that the authorities had failed to demonstrate that places of worship were responsible for outbreaks of COVID-19 in the canton.