Switzerland must examine the human rights situation when issuing extradition orders and not rely solely on prior experience with diplomatic assurances given by Moscow, the Federal Court has said.
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Швейцария: российские гарантии прав человека недостаточны
In a ruling published on Monday, the court accepted the appeal made by a former Russian banker whose extradition had been approved by the Swiss authorities in 2019. In that year alone, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) dealt with 198 cases concerning Russia, the court pointed out, and found that Russia violated the European Convention on Human Rights in 186 cases.
The Swiss judges also referred to the fate of Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in a Moscow prison in 2009 after bringing to light a corruption scandal.
Following legislative and constitutional amendments, the Russian Constitutional Court can now prevent the implementation of ECHR decisions, the Swiss court added.
The Federal Criminal Court will now have to take another look at Russian guarantees, and to produce reports or a concrete description of measures taken by Russia to ensure respect for the guarantees made on human rights. It is also compelled to address the rulings made by the ECHR and to look at the system of guarantees in other countries, before issuing any new decisions.
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Switzerland performs a delicate dance when it comes to promoting business interests, maintaining neutrality and defending human rights.
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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.