Swiss government comes out against ban on Hezbollah group
Supporters of the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon holding up photos of their leader images of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
Keystone / Wael Hamzeh
The government says it has no plans to ban the Islamist militant Hezbollah group in Switzerland as it posed no major terrorist threat.
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Governo suíço se posiciona contra proibição do grupo Hezbollah
The Lebanon-based group is not very active in Switzerland and no fundraising or other financial activities are known, the government said on Wednesday in a report to parliament.
The government said the current laws are sufficient, notably extended penal provision against criminal organisations as well as police measures for combating terrorism.
A ban on Hezbollah and its activities in Switzerland could impair missions within the framework of good offices and also Switzerland’s humanitarian engagement. Likewise, such a ban could damage Switzerland’s credibility as a neutral country, according to the government.
The government also said that a ban would make the work of the security authorities more difficult. This is because prohibited activities would go underground.
Only a few countries worldwide, notably neighbouring Germany, have imposed sanctions or a ban against Hezbollah.
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