By Emma Farge

GENEVA, (Reuters) – A group of climate activists was convicted in protest against a Swiss bank Credit Suisse (SIX.) filed a Friday application for a review at the European Court of Human Rights. This was a move their lawyers suggested could establish a precedent.

An appeals court in Switzerland reversed last year a decision that cleared the twelve climate activists of violating Credit Suisse’s property. It argued their actions were necessary due to the “imminent threat” of global warming. The decision was upheld later by Switzerland’s highest court.

Protesters who refused to pay a penalty for entering a bank branch in November 2018 and pretended they were Roger Federer, the tennis star, brought this case to court. The bank finances fossil fuel projects through its sponsorship.

Credit Suisse refused to comment about the ongoing court case. The spokesperson for Switzerland’s second-largest bank stated that its sponsorship agreement with Federer as well as its partnership with Roger Federer Foundation are still in effect.

Federer previously thanked climate activists for “forced us all to review our behavior and take up innovative solutions”. His Foundation spokesperson did not respond immediately to Friday’s request for comment.

The Strasbourg court heard the appeal by 12 of the activists. This is called an ‘application’. The activists wore sneakers and sweatbands as they played tennis outdoors, with a banner that read ‘#RogerForClimate.’

“This case is one of the first and it could create a European precedent,” Raphaël Mahaim, one of the lawyers for the activists, told Reuters from Strasbourg.

The court spokesperson did not respond immediately to our request for comment.

The activists’ request coincides with a youth rally through Glasgow to demand that leaders at the U.N. COP26 climate conference https://www.reuters.com/business/cop safeguard their future.

Many climate justice cases now invoke human rights. That may change after the U.N. rights committee recognized access to a healthy and clean environment as an essential right.