Protests after death in custody in Lausanne

An investigation has been launched in Lausanne after a man of African descent died in police custody.

The 39-year-old died in the cell on Sunday after being arrested for drug dealing. 

The death prompted a demonstration outside the police station with banners that read: The Swiss State Kills.

Police forces in canton Vaud have been criticized in the past following similar incidents.

Four other non-white men have died during police operations between 2016 and 2021. Other similar incidents have also sparked protests in the past. 

More from Bitesize News

  • Annecy mayor visits local school

    Antoine Armand, elected mayor of Annecy in March, has made his first back-to-school visit as head of the cross-border city, meeting pupils and teachers at Cran-Gevrier's Vernay school on Tuesday morning

  • Climate change affecting rainfall patterns

    Rain in Switzerland is falling less often but more heavily when it does, and the trend is likely to continue, according to MeteoSwiss

  • More security checks after Aarau shooting

    Every big public event is likely to face tighter security after the fatal Aarau festival shooting, according to former national security chief André Duvillard

  • Swiss Life job losses

    Zurich-based insurer Swiss Life will cut around 600 jobs by the end of 2028, with half of them in Switzerland

  • Crans Montana bar missed crucial checks

    The security officer for Chermignon has told Valais prosecutors that no proper inspection of the Constellation bar ever took place before it opened in December 2015

  • Fire cause revealed

    Authorities now believe a lithium battery may have triggered Friday's warehouse fire at the Thévenaz-Leduc recycling site in Ecublens, though the cause has not yet been formally confirmed

Download our app

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play