Police treat radicalised Covid deniers like Islamists
Violent threats from coronavirus sceptics and opponents of government measures to combat the pandemic are increasingly occupying the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol). The authorities have warned such people that they are under surveillance.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ts
Português
pt
Polícia trata negacionistas da Covid como terroristas
“The increasing readiness for violence in the coronavirus denial scene is a major concern for us,” said Fedpol spokesman Florian Näf in the SonntagsBlickExternal link. “It’s alarming.”
Fedpol was currently seeing a significant increase in “expressions of displeasure”, including threats, Näf said. These were mainly directed at the Federal Office of Public Health and at politicians at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic.
More
More
Health workers need police protection at rally
This content was published on
Around 1,000 people from the health sector demonstrated for better working conditions in Bern on Saturday.
“In recent months protective measures for individuals have had to be reassessed and strengthened,” he confirmed. The SonntagsBlick said the government would not give any details, but this is thought to refer to Health Minister Alain Berset in particular.
More
More
Swiss minister: ‘I don’t know if we can save Christmas’
This content was published on
Swiss Health Minister Alain Berset has refused to say when he thinks the Covid-19 crisis will end and has again called on everyone to do their part.
The paper says the government, in cooperation with cantonal police forces, holds “at-risk conversations” with potential violent criminals. The police visit such a person, assess their risk and make it clear that they are being watched. This method has proven its worth with radicalised Islamists, according to the SonntagsBlick.
More
More
Government proposes house arrest for terrorist suspects
This content was published on
The Swiss government has proposed new laws aimed at preventing extremist violence.
Normally there are several hundred cases of such reports per year, which are sent by email to members of the federal parliament or to members of the authorities, Fedpol spokeswoman Cathy Maret told news agency Keystone-SDA/ATS. This year, she said, there had already been more than 1,000 such reports. About 40 were directly related to the Covid pandemic.
More
More
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
Macron will attend Swiss summit on Ukraine, says Zelensky
This content was published on
French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the peace conference on Ukraine at the Swiss Bürgenstock resort next month, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.
Top politician tells ‘corrupt’ Eurovision to stay away from Bern
This content was published on
A social media post by the president of Bern’s cantonal government critical of the Eurovision Song Contest has created waves and will be discussed in the cantonal parliament.
Swiss centre records over 200 victims of human trafficking
This content was published on
Last year 317 people took part in a protection programme run by the Specialist Unit for Trafficking in Women and Women’s Migration (FIZ) in German-speaking Switzerland.
This content was published on
The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners are opening a field hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday.
Lack of smartphone sustainability in Switzerland hits environment
This content was published on
Almost half of all Swiss citizens hang on to their old smartphones, tablets and laptops, according to the Federal Statistical Office.
Police clear out pro-Palestinian students protesting in Geneva
This content was published on
The police intervened early on Tuesday to dislodge pro-Palestinian students who had been occupying the University of Geneva for almost a week.
New gel developed in Zurich renders alcohol harmless
This content was published on
A newly developed gel composed of whey proteins breaks down alcohol in the body and could reduce its harmful and intoxicating effects in humans.
Pro-Palestine protests extend to Basel and Fribourg universities
This content was published on
Demonstrators called for an academic boycott of all Israeli institutions and disassociation with Chaim Weizmann, the first Israeli president.
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.
Read more
More
Terror threat remains high in Switzerland, warns Federal Intelligence Service
This content was published on
Terrorist attacks inspired by the Islamic State group remain likely in Europe, with Switzerland not invulnerable to such threats, a new report states.
Intel chief: general surveillance of mosques ‘unlawful’
This content was published on
“Mosques, their imams and their supporting organisations are seldom the problem,” Markus Seiler told the Aargauer ZeitungExternal link, explaining that threats came “mostly from the environment people are in”. However, if the FIS were presented with concrete evidence of a potential threat, it could act preventatively, he said. In addition, Seiler warned against viewing recent…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
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.