Swiss Abroad

Swiss attempt to seize Duvalier assets

This content was published on Feb 2, 2011 The cabinet asked Finance Minister Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf to begin proceedings to seize around SFr6 million ($6.2 million) that has been frozen in Swiss bank accounts since 1986, with a view to returning the funds to the Haitian people. It follows the entry into force on February 1 of a new Swiss law on returning illicit…

Swiss Politics

CINEMA: International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights

This content was published on Feb 2, 2011 A platform for dialogue between human rights activists, film-makers and members of civil society, with unscreened films, debates and solidarity actions.

Swiss Politics

Kidnapping alert to be sent by text message

This content was published on Feb 2, 2011 The move, revealed on Tuesday, is the latest innovation in a nationwide alert system for child kidnappings that has been in operation since January 1, 2010. Under the SMS message system, all registered subscribers near the site of the kidnapping will receive a message along the lines of: “Kidnapping alert: On 24.2.10, at 8am in…

Swiss Politics

Mubarak pledges not to run again

This content was published on Feb 1, 2011 Middle East expert Yves Besson tells swissinfo.ch that recent events now require the West to formulate new policies towards the region and also pave the way for Turkish diplomacy to play a role. Tuesday saw the largest protest in the popular movement to oust Mubarak’s regime with hundreds of thousands of people peacefully taking to…

Swiss Politics

“Duvalier Law” enters into force

This content was published on Feb 1, 2011 The law was formulated to help deal with cases such as that of former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier. Some SFr6 million ($6.2 million) linked to “Baby Doc” have been frozen in Switzerland since 1986. A spokeswoman for the Swiss Foreign Ministry confirmed to swissinfo.ch that the accounts are now blocked under the new law and…

Swiss Politics

Swiss banks must “know their customers”

This content was published on Feb 1, 2011 Much international attention is focused on their personal banking arrangements and, not surprisingly perhaps, how much money the two leaders and other Peps may have illegally deposited in Swiss bank accounts. Whereas some people outside Switzerland might believe it easy to open a Swiss bank account and hide behind the privacy of banking secrecy, this…

Swiss Politics

Minister to restore confidence in asylum policy

This content was published on Feb 1, 2011 She announced that Switzerland will take in 35 refugees from a United Nations camp on the border between Iraq and Syria in the spirit of the country’s longstanding humanitarian tradition. Sommaruga, who took up her post at the head of the justice and police ministry last October, added she was aware that an election year…

Swiss Politics

Upheaval in Egypt

This content was published on Feb 1, 2011 Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians demonstrated in the capital, Cairo, and other big cities to protest against the autocratic rule of President Hosni Mubarak. Unruffled by the presence of troops and police, they were resolute in calling for basic human rights.

Entrenched views prevail in Swiss gun debate

This content was published on Feb 1, 2011 The February 13 vote has sparked the most interest from United States-based readers, probably the country where the debate has the most resonance. After a controversial ban on privately held firearms in Belgium, the issue is also a sore point there. The views of contributors to swissinfo.ch feedback may not be scientifically representative but the…

Swiss Politics

Facebook revolutionaries outflank Arab regimes

This content was published on Jan 31, 2011 Swiss researcher Patrick Haenni is currently in Tunisia for the International Crisis Group. He has been researching Islamist movements, the internet and blogs for a number of years for the Fribourg-based Religioscope organisation. Social networking sites like Twitter, Flickr, Facebook and YouTube have been used recently to mobilise anti-government protests in Tunisia, Egypt and Sudan. …

Swiss Abroad

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Swiss Abroad

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Swiss attempt to seize Duvalier assets

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CINEMA: International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights

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Kidnapping alert to be sent by text message

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Mubarak pledges not to run again

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“Duvalier Law” enters into force

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Swiss banks must “know their customers”

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Minister to restore confidence in asylum policy

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Upheaval in Egypt

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Entrenched views prevail in Swiss gun debate

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Facebook revolutionaries outflank Arab regimes

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