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Swiss citizens helped to leave Libya

The Swiss embassy in Tripoli has assisted four Swiss citizens to leave Libya since the uprising against the government began, the foreign ministry said.

The ministry has advised all Swiss still in Libya to leave the country in the event that the security situation deteriorates further in the near future.






A further 43 Swiss remain in the country – 20 in Tripoli and 23 in Benghazi and Misrata in the east.

The ministry said it had not received information that any Swiss citizens had been involved in or injured during the current unrest.

Compared with other European countries, Switzerland has relatively few citizens based in Libya, a result of a diplomatic crisis between the two countries sparked by the Geneva arrest of Moammar Gaddafi’s son Hannibal in 2008.

The dispute peaked when Tripoli suspended visas for Swiss citizens and arrested two Swiss businessmen on immigration charges.

A smartphone displays the SWIplus app with news for Swiss citizens abroad. Next to it, a red banner with the text: ‘Stay connected with Switzerland’ and a call to download the app.

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