The Schwyz cantonal police force has interviewed all 12 people who dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes during local carnival celebrations last week. The case is due to be sent to a local prosecutor when their inquiry is complete.
Once complete the police will hand over the case to the Attorney General’s Office for Inner Schwyz, it added.
A video of the incident on March 4 in the town of Brunnen in canton Schwyz, which was reported in Swiss mediaExternal link, showed a group walking along a street dressed in white outfits with KKK written on the chest, pointed hoods and carrying burning torches.
The KKK is a white supremacist group, founded in the US in 1865, which terrorized blacks in the US South and later targeted other minority groups, following the Civil War and the emancipation of African-American slaves. There are thought to still be around 8,000 KKK supporters in the US. The group has reportedly established contacts with rightwing groups overseas.
The Schwyz incident has shocked certain locals and parliamentarians in Bern. The director of the Federal Commission against Racism, Alma Wiecken, condemned the incident.
“Such gatherings should not be tolerated,” she declared.
It is unclear if the group has broken any Swiss laws, however. Lawyer and racism expert Daniel Kettiger told the 20 Minuten news site that it would be difficult to establish members of the group had been guilty of racial discrimination in the current case.
He said this was because no specific race or ethnicity had been directly and demonstrably targeted by the group and because their appearance had occurred during the carnival celebrations when there is a relatively high tolerance for satire.
Swiss justice minister hopes EU reform will reduce irregular migration
This content was published on
The European Union’s (EU) New Pact on Migration and Asylum aims to curb irregular migration within Schengen, Justice Minister Beat Jans said on Tuesday.
Swiss electricity supply outlook positive despite uncertainties
This content was published on
Thanks to well-filled gas stores in Europe and increased availability of French nuclear power, the Swiss Federal Electricity Commission is optimistic.
Finance minister wants Swiss banks to hold more equity
This content was published on
Finance Minister Karin Keller-Sutter has repeated calls for banks and their holdings in subsidiaries abroad to hold more equity.
Telecoms sector kept Swiss competitions regulator busy in 2023
This content was published on
Last year, the Swiss Competition Commission (COMCO) conducted 27 investigations and initiated 17 preliminary investigations.
This content was published on
Although Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) achieved higher revenue at the start of the year, it suffered a dip in profits.
40,000 signatures against animal testing in Switzerland
This content was published on
Switzerland should do away with “restrictive” animal testing and should become a model for innovative, effective, and pain-free scientific research.
More than 45,000 signatures in favour of federal funding for UNRWA
This content was published on
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives (FAC) is expected to decide on the funding of the UNRWA at the beginning of the week.
This content was published on
At the end of January 2024, 6,881 men and women were behind bars in Switzerland. Almost 95% of all places were occupied, the highest number since 2014.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.