“The Federal Council has decided that the expulsion of diplomats is a measure that must be taken in the context of a security policy, not as a sanction for something,” said Cassis in an interview with Swiss public television RTS on Thursday.
He warned that “changing the rules of the game” will “cause a lot of confusion”. Around 200 Russian diplomats were expelled from Europe 48 hours after reports of hundreds of civilian deaths in the Russian-occupied town of Bucha. Russia has firmly rejected the accusation and its ambassador to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia,claimed that “not a single civilian suffered from any kind of violence”.
Cassis also cautioned against the use of the term “war crimes” before the facts were established on what has occurred in Ukraine. He repeated that Switzerland wanted an independent international investigation to verify whether war crimes were committed. The UN Human Rights Council has just launched an international commission of enquiry to carry out this mandate.
“These are indications of war crimes,” said Cassis in the RTS interviewExternal link. “They are not war crimes until a court of law says so.”
On Thursday, Switzerland joined 92 other nations in voting to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council. This was only the second time a country has been expelled from this UN body after Libya in 2011. Russia had warned countries that a yes vote or abstention would be viewed as an “unfriendly gesture” with consequences for bilateral ties.
External Content
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Swiss politician resigns after firing shots at Jesus picture
What can be done to protect biodiversity in your country?
Swiss voters are set to decide on a people’s initiative calling for better protection of ecosystems in the country. Have your say on the September 22 vote.
Ex-Swiss minister Berset takes up top post at Council of Europe
This content was published on
Former Swiss Federal Councillor Alain Berset, took over as Secretary General of the Council of Europe on Wednesday. He does not face an easy task.
This content was published on
Swiss researchers have discovered why certain organs age faster than others. The results were published on Tuesday in the scientific journal "Cell". The researchers hope to use their findings to slow down the ageing process.
FINMA imposes heavy penalties on private bank Mirabaud
This content was published on
The Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority has taken action against private bank Mirabaud & Cie,over money laundering.
Switzerland edges closer to stricter screening of foreign investments
This content was published on
Foreign investors are set to face greater scrutiny in Switzerland as one parliamentary chamber passes the so-called Lex China bill.
Increase in animal testing in Switzerland last year
This content was published on
Almost 600,000 animals were used in animal experiments in Switzerland in 2023 - an increase of 1.6% compared to the previous year.
This content was published on
In some parts of the world, Russia's war in Ukraine has highlighted fault lines that could have a wider impact on global politics.
Diplomatic isolation of Russia – a tricky strategy in International Geneva
This content was published on
In Geneva, the war in Ukraine has prompted the West to exclude Russia from some international fora. Some fear the strategy could backfire.
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.