Cluster: Geopolitics

Court clears way for collective asylum for Syrians

This content was published on Mar 19, 2015 The court based its ruling on Swiss asylum law, taking into account the volatile situation in Syria since 2011. Currently, each application for asylum must be handled individually, and each decision must be based on the current situation. But because the situation in Syria is volatile, the basis for decision-making changes constantly, the court found.…

Foreign Affairs

Chemical weapons proliferators added to Syria sanctions

This content was published on Mar 18, 2015 The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) added seven individuals and six businesses to its existing sanctions list on Wednesday. Among them are the Organisation for Technological Industries and the Syrian Company for Information Technology belonging to the Syrian Defence Ministry. Among the individuals named are Bayan Bitar and Ghassan Abbas, who SECO alleges helped…

Foreign Affairs

Zurich resident – Vladimir Lenin

This content was published on Mar 14, 2015

Foreign Affairs

Swiss citizen arrested for fighting Islamic State

This content was published on Mar 11, 2015 The 32-year-old Cosar, who was born in St Gallen and grew up in Locarno, is currently free on bail but faces up to three years in prison if convicted of fighting for a foreign military force without permission, according to Swiss Public Television, RSI. Military justice proceedings against Cosar were launched last autumn while he…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss army personnel injured in Mali

This content was published on Mar 7, 2015 The Swiss defence ministry said the incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday when unknown assailants opened fire on guests in a restaurant in Bamako. The two Swiss are said to be critical but in a stable condition and underwent surgery in a nearby hospital before being flown out to neighbouring Senegal for further…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss step up sanction measures

This content was published on Mar 6, 2015 “This decision… extends the measures introduced following Switzerland’s non-recognition of Russia’s annexation of the Crimea, an act which contravenes international law,” said a statement from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)External link. “All foreign investment in the Crimea and Sevastopol is now prohibited. Service bans apply in the investment and tourism branches, and in…

Foreign Affairs

‘Reckless’ hostage loses appeal for lost pay

This content was published on Mar 5, 2015 The Federal Court, based in Lausanne, rejected an appeal by the 35-year-old police officer, David Och, who was taken captive in 2011 along with his companion, Daniela Widmer. In March 2012, the Swiss couple turned up at an army post close to the Afghan border, claiming to have escaped from their captors, but Taliban commanders…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss jihadist ‘holding wife hostage in Syria’

This content was published on Mar 5, 2015 “I want to go home – please help me,” said the 22-year-old woman from Stuttgart in an audio clip sent to her family that was broadcasted on Swiss public television’s Rundschau news programme on Wednesday evening. According to research by Rundschau and Germany’s Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper, the woman has been in the Idlib region of…

Foreign Affairs

More war materiel exported, less approved

This content was published on Feb 26, 2015 Most of it (CHF187million) went to Germany in the form of armoured vehicles, yet the most dramatic figures pertain to second-best customer Indonesia. The southeast Asian country ordered CHF121million in Swiss war materiel in 2014 – compared with CHF157,000 in 2013. Indonesia’s purchases included an anti-aircraft system and various handguns, small arms and other-caliber weapons.…

Foreign Affairs

Swiss foreign minister calls for broad anti-terror strategy

This content was published on Feb 19, 2015 The murder of innocent men, women and children and the enormous suffering of civilians at the hands of terrorist groups is not justified by any religion and is unacceptable, according to Burkhalter. Extremist groups in Syria, Iraq and Nigeria have become major drivers of war, and attacks by radical individuals pose a threat to both…

Cluster: Geopolitics

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