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AFP
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1/5
Eccentric palace traditions: Vajiralongkorn at the wedding with his fourth wife Suthida.
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THOMAS LUETHI
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2/5
The king of Thailand is often in the German-speaking countries and likes to use Zurich Airport. A photographer was arrested yesterday when he tried to document the arrival of King Vajiralongkorn (67) (archive picture).
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Screenshot of the Lucerne newspaper
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3/5
King Rama X is also fond of Switzerland, here on a visit to Horw LU.
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Keystone
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4/5
The 67-year-old is criticized because he is almost never found in his kingdom during the Corona crisis and prefers to travel around.
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zVg
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5/5
Claudio M. im works regularly for BLICK.
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King Vajiralongkorn (67) of Thailand is not a fan of freedom of the press. While his people are suffering from the Corona crisis, the 67-year-old cheerfully jets his harem back and forth between Bangkok, Zurich and Bavaria. Because he is repeatedly criticized for this, the trips should be hidden from critical journalists if possible. It’s not a problem in Thailand. And in Switzerland, too, the heavy monarch found an ally for the intimidation of photographers: the Zurich Cantonal Police.
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Yesterday the king used Zurich Airport again. The German “Bild” newspaper hired Swiss photographer Claudio M. *, who also photographs regularly for BLICK. He positioned himself in a public area of the airport and took pictures of the king’s jet, as so often before.
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The king’s employees order Kapo Zurich
This time, however, the Thai king apparently didn’t like it: «The king’s security officers started taking pictures of me. I saw her talking on the phone excitedly, »explains the photographer. Then the Zurich police come into play, with a squad of several officers.
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The cantonal police officers want to prevent M. from taking pictures. The latter explains that he is a journalist and can prove his identity. He also advises the police about freedom of the press. A video camera is running. And documents what follows.
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Before just one picture of the Thai king is shot, police officer Lopez ** handcuffs the photographer and twists his arm. “It’s your own fault if it hurts,” he says clearly in the video, while the journalist cries out in pain.
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As an excuse, the police waive the parking fees
“In the interview room, they told me that the Thai king’s entourage triggered the police operation,” said the photographer. The following is a list of allegations to M., none of which could be corroborated: the photographer broke a door, could even be a terrorist, and wanted to avoid police control.
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When the officers understand that there is no wrongdoing, they waive the parking fees for the photographer. “Before that, however, they sifted through my photos, probably to make sure there was really no picture of the king underneath,” says Claudio M.
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In the meantime, the German “Bild” newspaper has reported on the Rambo use by the Zurich police.
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No response from the police
At Kapo Zurich, people react extremely cautiously to inquiries. BLICK asks: Has Kapo Zurich made a hand in the hands of a foreign monarch? Did you actually see the photos? On what legal basis was press freedom undermined? Why are parking fees waived for the photographer?
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There is no response from the cantonal police press office. Instead, it is generally said: “A person who claimed to be a media official opposed a person control by the police and was therefore arrested.” And spokesman Werner Schaub threatens to take legal action if the police involved in the operation can be identified in the report.
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