BREAKING Former Swiss Politician Sanija Ameti Charged for Sharing Pic of Herself Shooting Image Mary and Jesus for Practice

A former politician in Switzerland used an image of Our Lady for target practice and shared it on social media in Sept. 2024.
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has filed charges against former GLP politician Sanija Ameti, as reported by "20 Minuten" and SRF. In September 2024, Sanija Ameti shared an Instagram post showing her practicing target practice – the target is an image of Jesus and Mary, with both faces riddled with bullets. Following public outcry, the politician from the Green Liberal Party apologized and deleted the footage of her appearance. Even before the trial, Amati had already faced severe consequences for her behavior: She lost one of her two jobs as a result of the scandal; she was a member of the GLP party leadership in the canton of Zurich and had to resign from it; and she has since resigned from the GLP.
According to SRF, the public prosecutor's office is demanding a conditional fine of 100 times 100 francs and a fine of 2,500 francs, with a two-year probationary period for the fine.
Ameti ridiculed the Christian faith, unnecessarily belittled it and insultingly disregarded it, the indictment states, reports SRF.

"The members of the Swiss Bishops' Conference condemn this unacceptable behavior," the Swiss bishops wrote a few days after the scandalous photos became public. "Even disregarding the religious representation of the Mother of God—which this image clearly shows—the use of this image testifies to violence and disrespect for the human person."

STATEMENT Unacceptable target for shooting practice
September 10, 2024
Sanija Ameti, known for her political activities, used an image of a mother with her child for her target practice. She subsequently posted the bullet-riddled image on Instagram. Members of the Swiss Bishops' Conference condemn this unacceptable behavior. Even disregarding the religious depiction of the Virgin Mary—which this image clearly depicts—the use of this image demonstrates violence and disrespect for the human person.

Like many Catholics, the Swiss bishops feel their religious sensibilities have been violated. They are grateful for Sanija Ameti's letter to the Bishop of Chur, in which she asks the Catholic community for forgiveness. Nevertheless, the bishops are obliged to publicly express their deep disapproval. In our society, it remains crucial that education actively contribute to respect for the human person and their religious beliefs.

St. Gallen, September 9, 2024

https://www.bischoefe.ch/inakzeptable-zielscheibe-fuer-schiessuebungen/