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Loading ...Swiss court rules against American in gay sheik case
06.09.2009 1:41pm EDT
(Lausanne, Switzerland) An American has lost his court battle in Switzerland with a member of the ruling United Arab Emirates’ family who whipped him in the face with a belt in a Geneva hotel bar.
The Swiss supreme court upheld a lower court’s quashing of the criminal conviction of Sheik Falah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, 38, according to a copy of the ruling seen Tuesday by The Associated Press.Al Nayan, brother of the UAE ruler, was convicted in July for hitting Silvano Orsi, 40, of Rochester, New York, with a belt after the American declined a bottle of champagne the sheik offered him in a luxury Geneva hotel bar in 2003. Al Nayan was fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($9,820).
But in March a Geneva appeals court quashed the conviction of inflicting bodily harm with a dangerous object on the ground that the belt wasn’t dangerous.
Orsi appealed to the Federal Tribunal to reinstate the conviction.
In rejecting the appeal on procedural grounds, the Federal Tribunal ordered Orsi to pay 2,000 Swiss francs ($1,834) in court costs. The high court’s ruling, dated May 26, held that as a civil party Orsi didn’t have the legal standing to contest the acquittal.
Orsi claims that after refusing the champagne, the sheik, whom he had never met, came up behind him, jostled his glasses, sat on his lap and tried to kiss and fondle him. When Orsi protested, the assault began, he says.
The sheik told investigators that he got into a heated argument with Orsi after he overheard someone call him gay. Al Nahyan acknowledged that he pulled his belt from his trousers but denied striking Orsi.
Geneva’s chief prosecutor, Daniel Zappelli, has said Orsi’s injuries and post-traumatic shock from the beating in August 2003 left him incapable of working.
The defendant is a brother of Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who was appointed president of the United Arab Emirates in 2004 after the death of their father, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
If you read the original article he beat him repeatedly with the belt was dragged away and came back and started beating him again until he was escorted out of the hotel. The hotel staff and clients testified to this. Bottom line: the guy got away with assault.
On top of it since this guy was working abroad there was a loop hole with his medical insurance(don’t remember the specifics) and he has to pay for all medical bills associated with this.
And really who is anyone to say that there isn’t some post traumatic issues after being attacked in broad day light in an upscale hotel with lots of people around twice and nothing is legally done. Pretty scary as far as I’m concerned!
Peter Said: June 9th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Ah – Switzerland.
The country that took the Jews of Eastern Europe for all they had just before the pogroms began – and said they had ‘no idea’ why all those life insurance policies went uncollected and money accounts went unclaimed.
Switzerland – one of the most morally corrupt nations on Earth.
Why is anyone surprised that they can be so easily bought off?
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Thank you Peter for your comment, I’m Jewish, and i’m Swiss. Switzerland save my grandparents of Estonian Nazi extermination camps, and my family wasn’t rich … This country save all of my family, so please keep this kind of comment for you.
Because without the help of this nation … I wouldn’t be there.
Thank you
sheiks behaving badly…
Wow, that’s ” that you’re a superior European . . .,”. Ha on me. Call it Karma people
leucippus Said: “Oh, the Americans with their traumas. I bet he merely brushed him with the belt and he was scarred for life.”
Um, how in the hell can you just get brushed by a belt. Nobody takes off their belt to merely brush somebody with it. He either took it off and used it properly or he didn’t. If you’re going to call Americans wimps based on the knowledge that you’re a superior at European, at least show us some of your knowledge and do it without faulty logic. You are representing Europe after all.
there is a good reason why the Swiss flag has a great big plus sign on it. we don’t care what care what color your money is.
makes me ashamed to be swiss
Im confused…did the sheik hit the guy because they guy refused his advances? Or because the sheik thought he was gay?
He can buy me a bottle of champaign…im that shallow. 
(…I’ve been undressed by Kings, and ive seen some things, that a woman aint s’posed to see…..I’ve been to Paradise but ive….)
One more black eye for the Swiss. These are the people who profited by supporting apartheid in South Africa and stole millions from the families of Jewish victims of the Holocaust because the Nazis did not issue death certificates. Orzi gets bashed twice.
Ah – Switzerland.
The country that took the Jews of Eastern Europe for all they had just before the pogroms began – and said they had ‘no idea’ why all those life insurance policies went uncollected and money accounts went unclaimed.
Switzerland – one of the most morally corrupt nations on Earth.
Why is anyone surprised that they can be so easily bought off?
“…Orsi’s injuries and post-traumatic shock from the beating in August 2003 left him incapable of working.”
Oh, the Americans with their traumas. I bet he merely brushed him with the belt and he was scarred for life. I completely agree with the court’s ruling. Thank god courts here in Europe don’t fall for every whim.
The verdict was bought and paid for. I’m not surprised. The victim wasn’t a Swiss national, therefore it comes down to who has the most money. I suspect that a US court would’ve upheld the assault charge–you left a mark, hell yes it’s assault.
Goes to show that Money/Fame equals Power, to no ones surprise.. much like the OJ Simpson case…
Likely this brother of an Arab ruler has all kinds of huge money. What can an average American do? The court will like believe the Arab president’s family before it does the American. The sheik’s brother knew this and was likely used to getting his way and to doing whatever he pleased.