Six police officers appeared in court on Monday on trial in Switzerland on manslaughter charges in connection with the death of a Nigerian man five years ago.

The all white officers are facing “homicide through negligence” charges for the death of 39-year-old Mike Ben Peter in 2018.

Police say they used standard techniques to apprehend the alleged drug dealer who they are accused of pinning to the ground after he refused to be searched.

The defence is to argue that Mike Ben Peter’s death was likely to have been a result of underlying health problems.

The dead man’s family and anti-racist groups in Switzerland have drawn parallels to the death of George Floyd, who was killed by police in the United States in Minneapolis.