Foreign minister Micheline Calmy-Rey says the Swiss government has expressed its concern over the unrest in Egypt to the Egyptian ambassador.

Calmy-Rey, in an interview with the SonntagsZeitung newspaper, said it had summoned the ambassador to the foreign ministry on Saturday.

The foreign minister said Switzerland had called on the Egyptian authorities to respect basic human rights which include freedom of expression and assembly, and to refrain from using violence against its people.

Calmy-Rey said she expected prominent government opponent Mohamed ElBaradei – Nobel peace prizewinner and former head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog – to be released from house arrest, as well as all others who have been detained for taking part in the demonstrations.

Asked if the foreign ministry was taking action to prevent Egyptian assets in Swiss banks from being removed, Calmy-Rey said according to Swiss law the Money Laundering Reporting Office had to be informed of any suspicious transactions. “The foreign ministry is following developments in Egypt very closely,” she added.

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