After a 10-day fact-finding mission, the group said in a statementExternal link on Wednesday that it was “concerned about the prevalence of racial discrimination and the human rights situation of people of African descent in Switzerland”.
A 59-point document outlined the various problems faced by black people in the country, including what it called “shocking reports of police brutality and the expectation of impunity for police misconduct, extending over decades”.
They mentioned specifically the case of Nzoy Roger Wilhelm, shot dead by police in Morges last year, as well as several other cases representing what they called racial profiling, and for which centralised data and an independent review mechanism is lacking.
The group also said that the case of Brian K – a highly mediatised violent repeat offender held in solitary confinement in Zurich – was a “stark example of systemic racism in Switzerland”.
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Switzerland opts for permanent human rights watchdog
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The Swiss parliament has voted for the creation of a national human rights institution to monitor the application of human rights domestically.
It also criticised an “insufficient recognition” of Swiss ties to colonialism and the African slave trade, which it says is directly connected to the country’s modern wealth, notably through the profits made by banks and industries linked to slavery in the past.
From January 17-26, the members of the group travelled across Switzerland and met with people of African descent, as well as with politicians, police representatives, and civil society groups.
And despite the majority of the statement being negative, the group listed several “good practices and positive steps” taken to combat racism, including moves to create an operational national human rights institution.
Their final report will be presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council in September 2022.
Students at EPFL in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
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Pro-Palestinian activists occupied a building at the Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL) on Tuesday, mirroring a peaceful demonstration at the nearby University of Lausanne (UNIL).
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
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TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
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The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
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The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
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China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
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A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
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The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
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Why Switzerland should be doing more to fight racism
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The UN has pointed its finger at a lack of clear Swiss legislation to tackle racism as well as the lack of enough accessible recourse for victims.
UN body concerned at rise of racist hate speech in Switzerland
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The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) sees a rise in racist hate speech and racial profiling in Switzerland.
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Nils Melzer, the UN special rapporteur on torture, has written to the Swiss government to complain about the treatment of a violent repeat offender.
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If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.