The Swiss government has proposed letting its spy agency penetrate the country’s famous banking secrecy to snoop on financial transactions that it suspects are funding terrorism, espionage or violent extremism.
This content was published on
1 minute
Reuters/ts
العربية
ar
تعديل قانوني في الأفق يسمح لجهاز الاستخبارات بالتدقيق في المعاملات المالية المشبوهة
Unveiling a draft amendment of the intelligence law for public comment, the cabinet on Thursday pointed out that the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) at present has no power to ask banks and other financial intermediaries for information on people or groups seen as security risks. Switzerland has some of the strictest domestic banking confidentiality laws in the world.
“In the event of serious threats to Switzerland’s security, the FIS will in future be able to clarify financial flows by requesting information on transactions from financial intermediaries,” a government statement said.
This could cover businesses, non-profit organisations or religious institutions suspected of helping to finance terrorist, intelligence or violent extremist activities.
The Federal Administrative Court and the defence minister would have to authorise such requests after consultations with the justice and foreign ministers.
The consultation period runs until September 9.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Gold-digging: why some Swiss bury their wealth in the garden
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
New European space tech centre in Switzerland launches its first project
This content was published on
The European Space Deep-Tech Innovation Centre (ESDI), launched in collaboration with the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI), is to be located in the immediate vicinity of the PSI in northern Switzerland.
Swiss Federal Railways launches campaign for safety on public transport
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Railways is launching a campaign for greater respect and safety on public transport, with posters to go up in stations and on trains starting next week.
Swiss scientists to use AI for improved weather and climate forecasts
This content was published on
MeteoSwiss and the Swiss Data Science Center have signed a four-year agreement to make greater use of AI in meteorology and climatology going forward.
This content was published on
Prices of owner-occupied homes rose in the third quarter of 2024 by 0.5%, with inflation affecting both apartments and single-family houses, says the Federal Statistical Office.
This content was published on
The honey harvest is projected to be lower than usual this year, as Swiss beekeepers report harvesting an average of just 16kg of honey per bee colony.
More young refugees in Switzerland following vocational training
This content was published on
More than half of young refugees and temporarily admitted persons between the ages of 16 and 25 are now in training. This is significantly more than five years ago.
One in five Swiss children suffers psychological abuse at home
This content was published on
In Switzerland, one in five children suffers psychological violence, and one in three has witnessed psychological violence between parents, says the association Kinderschutz Schweiz.
Swiss government minister breaks silence over Trump remarks controversy
This content was published on
Transport Minister Albert Rösti explained himself in a television interview on Sunday evening, after being called out for expressing support for Donald Trump.
Swiss Covid expert calls for caution on vaccination recommendations
This content was published on
The head of the vaccination commission would be “even more cautious today” when it comes to Covid-19 vaccination recommendations.
This content was published on
The abrupt departure, reported by news portal Heidi NewsExternal link on Wednesday, was confirmed to swissinfo.ch by the Swiss federal police, without any explanation as to why the renowned financial crime expert had decided to walk away. Thelesklaf’s predecessor at MROS had also departed suddenly and without clear explanation. Thelesklaf, who was the first head…
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.