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Illegal money
Cabinet drafts unique law on dictators’ assets
Cabinet has presented a draft bill setting the rules for the freezing and restoring assets obtained illegally by foreign dictators and deposited in Switzerland. If approved by parliament, it will be the first law of its kind in the world. [...]
Construction halted
Court ruling on holiday homes sparks controversy
Crash report
Driver error likely cause of fatal bus crash
Human rights report
Amnesty International flags asylum law
In its annual report, the human rights organisation Amnesty International cited Switzerland’s stricter asylum laws and ongoing discrimination against minorities as concerns while noting progress in the treatment of deported asylum seekers. [...]
Syrian refugee crisis
Refugees struggle to survive in new Lebanese homes
Swiss banking woes
Minister says end to US tax dispute in sight
Swiss Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf says a resolution may be not far off to end a long-running dispute with the United States over Swiss banks accused of helping wealthy Americans evade billions of dollars of taxes. [...]
Changes at the top
Surprise shake-up marks Glencore Xstrata meeting
Formula for success
Chinese parents drive baby milk powder boom
Ice hockey
Switzerland take silver at world championships
Switzerland won its first medal at the ice hockey world championships in 60 years, capturing the silver medal after losing to hosts Sweden 5-1 in the final in Stockholm on Sunday. [...]
Gymnastics coach
'It’s a great feeling to fly, to twist, to rotate'
Aerial mapping
Successful takeoff for Swiss commercial drones
Switzerland’s flying robots used for 3D aerial mapping have been a global commercial success. But security and privacy concerns could curb the enthusiasm of a sector which is in full swing.
[...]Cancer discovery
New imaging gives insight into tumours’ travels
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In depth
Abu Salim Prison, Tripoli
If walls could talk ...
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Before the Arab Spring uprising swept through Libya, thousands of political prisoners had for many years been held in Moammar Gaddafi's prisons. Here, the halls and cells of the notorious maximum security Abu Salim prison are open for all to see.
As the site of the terrible 1966 massacre of some 1,200 prisoners who had protested over living conditions, the symbolism of the liberation of Abu Salim prison during the uprising was particularly powerful. Indeed, it was the arrest of Fathi Terbil, a lawyer representing the families of Abu Salim’s victims that had helped spark the revolt in Libya in February 2011.
Ten days after the uprising began, thousands of people arrested after demonstrations in Tripoli were packed into Abu Salim. With the wing reserved for political prisoners full, new arrivals were housed in the military wing. Arrested on suspicion of being rebels, they were made to sign a statement blindfolded – if they refused, they were tortured: tied up, hung from an overhead metal bar and beaten. (All images: Peter Püntener)
Applying pressure
“Torture persists and is making a comeback”
On the occasion of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, swissinfo.ch speaks to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture. Having been a victim himself, Juan E. Méndez decided to spend the rest of his life fighting torture. [...]
Rehabilitation
Helping torture victims regain their dignity
Tucked away in an unremarkable building at the end of a Bern tram line is the Red Cross Outpatient Clinic for Victims of Torture and War. Within its walls, experts are attempting to turn around the lives of traumatised refugees. [...]
Recovering from the past
Treating post traumatic stress disorder
Oliver Scwald, head of medicine and therapy at the Red Cross Outpatient Clinic for Victims of Torture and War, talks to swissinfo.ch's Abdeleli Abdelhafidh about issues facing victims and their families as they embark on their new lives in Switzerland. [...]
