Ameti, a city councilor in Zurich and a member of the Green Liberal Party, used a sports pistol to fire at the image, leaving bullet holes on the faces of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, in a poster for the auction of the image, which dates back to 1350.

The 32-year-old politician, who was born in Bosnia in 1992 to a Muslim family and now identifies as agnostic, apologized, stating she did not understand the religious significance of the image. She explained that she chose the image for practice due to its suitable size for shooting. Despite her quick efforts to delete the post and issue a public apology, the backlash continued, particularly from Catholic circles, who accused her of disrespecting religious beliefs.

Sanija Ameti moved to Switzerland in 1995 as a refugee with her family, who settled in an asylum center in Adliswil. She studied law at the University of Zurich and is currently working on her dissertation at the University of Bern, focusing on cybersecurity. Her father was a biology professor and politician in the former Yugoslavia.

Swiss media reported that Ameti, a gun enthusiast and lawyer specializing in cybersecurity, has sparked controversy in the past, including wearing military attire at an event with members of the populist Swiss People’s Party and posting posters in Albania, her family’s ancestral homeland.

The shooting incident led to her expulsion from the Green Liberal Party and her dismissal from the company where she worked. Following threats, Ameti and her family were placed under police protection, and she resigned from her leadership position within the party.

The Swiss bishops condemned the act, with Kath.ch, the official website of the Roman Catholic Church in Switzerland, stating that the shooting “targeted an image of Mary and Jesus Christ, which deeply affects the religious sentiments of many Catholics, including the bishops themselves.”