Swatch takes on Malaysian authorities in LGBT lawsuit

Swiss watchmaker Swatch Group has filed a lawsuit against the Malaysian government for confiscating rainbow-coloured watches that celebrate LGBT rights, in an act the company says has damaged its reputation. Homosexuality is a crime in Muslim-majority Malaysia, and rights groups have warned of growing intolerance in the country towards the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community. In May, Malaysian authorities confiscated watches from Swatch’s ‘Pride collection’ because of the presence of the letters ‘LGBTQ’ on the watches, the home minister said. Home ministry officials “illegally” seized 172 watches from 16 outlets, Swatch said in court documents seen by Reuters. The lawsuit, filed on June 24 at the Kuala Lumpur high court, was first reported on Monday by the Malay Mail, a Malaysian news website. + Read more: Malaysian authorities raid Swatch stores “Without a doubt, the seized watches did not and are not in any way capable of causing any disruption to…

More: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/swatch-takes-on-malaysian-authorities-in-lgbt-lawsuit/48667296