Swiss Public Broadcaster SRF Officially Apologizes to Private Individual in Crypto-Entrepreneur Case
Swiss Public Broadcaster SRF has officially apologized to a private individual for the first time in a long legal dispute. The occasion was a controversial news segment from 2022 about crypto-entrepreneur Dadvan Yousuf. In the segment, Yousuf was linked to “questionable transactions” and terrorism financing through an anonymous source. The 25-year-old has been fighting against this portrayal through the legal system.
The two authors of the segment accepted guilty pleas for defamation. However, SRF continued to publicly maintain the allegations, supposedly in order to protect the source. This stance led to further legal actions by Yousuf, who pursued both criminal and civil charges against the claims.
After a mediation attempt before the Peace Judge failed, the parties agreed on an out-of-court settlement last week. SRF committed to deleting all content containing the disputed statements. Additionally, it was agreed in writing that SRF must not give the impression that Yousuf had in any way been suspicious or involved in fraudulent or terrorist activities – an assessment that aligns with the findings of the prosecutor’s office.
In a confidential letter, the Audio/Digital Editorial Board apologized to Yousuf for the personal offense caused. Both sides also agreed not to take any further legal action against each other.
Whether the conflict is finally resolved remains to be seen. However, it is certain that the case marks a precedent in the way public broadcasters handle individuals and raises fundamental questions about journalistic responsibility, transparency and the protection of personality.
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