Swiss government comes out against ban on Hezbollah group
Supporters of the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon holding up photos of their leader images of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut.
Keystone / Wael Hamzeh
The government says it has no plans to ban the Islamist militant Hezbollah group in Switzerland as it posed no major terrorist threat.
This content was published on
1 minute
Key-SDA/SWI-led
Português
pt
Governo suíço se posiciona contra proibição do grupo Hezbollah
The Lebanon-based group is not very active in Switzerland and no fundraising or other financial activities are known, the government said on Wednesday in a report to parliament.
The government said the current laws are sufficient, notably extended penal provision against criminal organisations as well as police measures for combating terrorism.
A ban on Hezbollah and its activities in Switzerland could impair missions within the framework of good offices and also Switzerland’s humanitarian engagement. Likewise, such a ban could damage Switzerland’s credibility as a neutral country, according to the government.
The government also said that a ban would make the work of the security authorities more difficult. This is because prohibited activities would go underground.
Only a few countries worldwide, notably neighbouring Germany, have imposed sanctions or a ban against Hezbollah.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Bodycams: essential for good law enforcement, or a privacy risk?
Did you ever come across bodycams in your place of residence and if so, how do you think the use of bodycams alter the relationship between the public and (transport) police?
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.
Swiss homeowners ‘should contribute to earthquake insurance’
This content was published on
The Swiss government wants homeowners to shoulder a maximum 0.7% of the cost to insure buildings against severe earthquake damage.
Strong franc ‘saved Switzerland from excessive inflation’
This content was published on
The strong franc helped keep inflation low compared with the United States and the euro area, says SNB chair Thomas Jordan.
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.
Read more
More
Switzerland-Lebanon: what they have in common
This content was published on
swissinfo.ch asks the current Swiss ambassador in Beirut to explain why that is and why the Alpine nation is so popular in Lebanon.
This content was published on
Lucas Beck works on a Swiss water project in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. swissinfo.ch shadowed the expert of the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit.
This content was published on
The papers generally agree that the three week long Israeli offensive against Gaza, which has left over a thousand people dead, several thousand injured and destroyed large numbers of buildings, has produced only losers and they are sceptical about Israel’s claim to have achieved its aims. The German-language Neue Zürcher Zeitung points out that the…
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.