A shocking act of desecration has stirred national controversy in Switzerland and deep hurt among the Catholic faithful. Former Green Liberal Party leader Sanija Ameti, currently serving as a Zurich municipal councillor, is facing criminal charges after firing approximately 20 shots at a sacred Christian image of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus.
According to 20 Minuten, prosecutors allege Ameti publicly disparaged religious beliefs and disturbed religious peace under Article 261 of the Swiss Penal Code. The law punishes anyone who “publicly and maliciously insults or mocks the religious convictions of others, and in particular their belief in God, or maliciously desecrates objects of religious veneration.”
In September 2024, Ameti used an air pistol to shoot at a reproduction of Tommaso del Mazza’s 14th-century painting, Madonna with Child and the Archangel Michael. She reportedly fired from about 10 meters away, aiming directly at the faces of Mary and Jesus. She then posted images of the desecrated artwork on Instagram, captioning them with the word “abschalten” — a term meaning “switch off,” which some interpreted as a symbolic call to erase or silence the Christian faith.
The public backlash was immediate. A total of 31 people filed criminal complaints. In January, Ameti resigned from the Green Liberal Party and left the party entirely, although she continues to serve as an independent on Zurich’s city council.
While Ameti later claimed she hadn’t initially realized the religious significance of the image and deleted the post, prosecutors argue otherwise. The Zurich public prosecutor’s office described the shooting as a deliberate “public staging” that constituted a “needlessly disparaging and hurtful disregard” for Christian beliefs, with the potential to disturb religious peace, according to 20 Minuten.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ameti wrote: “I ask for forgiveness from those hurt by my post,” and claimed she had not recognized the religious symbolism of the image when she fired at it.
The Swiss Bishops’ Conference strongly condemned the act, calling it “unacceptable” and a violation of human dignity. “Even apart from the religious depiction of the Mother of God,” the bishops said, “the act revealed a fundamental lack of respect for human dignity,” according to CNA Deutsch.
Bishop Joseph Bonnemain of Chur shared that Ameti had personally written to him to express remorse. In a spirit of Christian charity, he responded publicly: “How could I not forgive her?” and encouraged others to do the same.
Still, Catholic leaders and advocates are sounding the alarm. Nicolas Rimoldi, president of the Swiss civic movement Mass-Voll, described the incident as “a clear incitement to violence against Christians.” In his view, it sets a dangerous precedent: “Such acts lower the threshold for further attacks,” Swiss media reported.
Prosecutors are now seeking a conditional fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (around $11,500), an additional penalty of 2,500 francs (roughly $2,900), and reimbursement of legal costs.
As Switzerland now confronts this moment of reckoning, the incident serves as a sobering reminder of the growing hostility Christians face in public life—and the enduring call to respond with justice, peace, and forgiveness.
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