Swiss help for international tribunals to be anchored in law
Parliament has approved a proposal to set up a legal basis for systematic Swiss cooperation with international criminal and rights tribunals.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/dos
On Thursday, the Senate unanimously accepted the government’s plan to legally anchor international assistance to trials concerning violations like genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity.
Currently, Swiss law only covers requests for legal assistance from other nation-states. Exceptions to this – the Rwandan and Yugoslav tribunals, as well as the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague – were covered by two specific laws in 1995 and 2001.
Some criminal tribunals however have been spurned by Bern due to a lack of legal basis for providing assistance. This was notably the case in 2016 and the international investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri.
According to a parliamentary committee, the same legal gaps could also potentially block cooperation with the Geneva-based “MechanismExternal link” looking into breaches of international law in Syria.
Cooperation with international investigations into non-human rights violations, such as murder, will also be possible if they are based on United Nations resolutions which Switzerland supports, the law foresees.
As for how it operates in practice, it will not be hugely different from the legal assistance offered to other states, and it will not involve any obligation on the part of Switzerland.
The text has already been accepted by the House of Representatives.
SWISS is airline ‘group flagship’ says Lufthansa boss
This content was published on
Despite challenges, Lufthansa and its most important subsidiary, Swiss International Airlines, promise increased satisfaction and continued growth.
Swiss rediscover communist zeal after 84-year hiatus
This content was published on
Over 300 participants founded the Revolutionary Communist Party (RKP) at its congress in Burgdorf in canton Bern at the weekend.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
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
Rule of law and direct democracy: a tense relationship
This content was published on
In the United States the courts are called in after elections, in Germany before them – and in Switzerland hardly ever (so far).
This content was published on
The historic trial of a Liberian commander accused of rape, pillage, assassinations, and an act of cannibalism opened in the Swiss Federal Criminal Court on Thursday.
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.