The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) will review a conviction of several climate activists for protesting on Swiss bank Credit Suisse’s grounds. While the activists were initially acquitted in January 2020, the Swiss appeal court reversed that decision.

The case was seen as an important precedent for climate protestors. The climate protestors were university students and were charged with trespassing and imposed a US$22,200 fine. In the initial ruling, Judg Philippe Colelough noted the imminent danger of the climate crisis, and the protestors will not be guilty of paying the fines and trespassing. However, Judge Christophe Maillard reversed the decision in the appeal, noting that the imminent dangers of climate change do not provide activists with the freedom to break laws. He noted that the protestors could have protested through different means.

The case will now be sent to the European Court of Human Rights for re-evaluation.

This situation has complicated relations between Roger Federer and Swiss bank Credit Suisse. The bank has been Roger Federer’s sponsor for more than ten years. Earlier in 2020, Roger Federer made a statement showing his support for the hashtag #RogerWakeUpNow.  The hashtag came from Greta Thunberg after she criticized Credit Suisse for providing loans to fossil fuel industries.

Credit Suisse did not make a statement on trial. The bank mentioned that it is “seeking to align its loan portfolios with the objectives of the Paris Agreement” and will continue to have Roger Federer as the bank’s global ambassador.