Bernard Rappaz from Valais, in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, grabbed headlines in recent months for staging a number of dramatic hunger strikes that prompted debate in the country on whether to force feed him or not.
On Tuesday, he was found guilty by a court in Martigny on charges of violating drug laws, money laundering and falsifying court documents from 2002 to 2006, the Corriere del Ticino newspaper reported.
Rappaz is already serving jail time for similar charges in the period 1997-2001 and has launched hunger strikes to protest against what he claims is a too severe sentence.
Rappaz is accused to have made available over 260 kilograms of hashish, 100 kilograms of marijuana and other cannabis seeds for an overall value of 1.3 million francs ($1.4 million), the paper said.
The man is hailed as an activist and a “hero” on many websites calling for drug liberalisation.
