Swiss Prisoners Abroad: Who Are They?

(MENAFN- Swissinfo) Over 200 Swiss nationals are imprisoned around the world, sometimes under drastic conditions.

• Deutsch de Schweizer Häftlinge im Ausland: Wer sind sie? Read more: Schweizer Häftlinge im Ausland: Wer sind sie?
• Français fr Plus de 200 Suisses sont emprisonnés ou privés de liberté à l'étranger Read more: Plus de 200 Suisses sont emprisonnés ou privés de liberté à l'étrange
• Italiano it In carcere all'estero, le storie sconosciute di oltre 200 svizzeri Original Read more: In carcere all'estero, le storie sconosciute di oltre 200 svizzer
• Русский ru Швейцарские заключенные за границей: кто они? Read more: Швейцарские заключенные за границей: кто они

Switzerland is still waiting for news from Iran. How and why did one of its citizens die in an Iranian jail cell at the start of January? The 64-year-old's body was returned home some weeks later. He had been detained in Semnan Central Prison after being arrested on charges of espionage in December.

Nothing more is known so far. In early January, Iran reported the suicide of a man, accused of espionage, who had been held in Semnan, east of Tehran. Until that day, nobody in Switzerland, apart from the authorities and his family, knew anything about him and his history.

Just as little is known about the other Swiss nationals imprisoned abroad. There are currently 234 of them, 54 of whom are in prison for drug offences. A further 180 are detained for other unspecified offences. More than 100 are in prison in Europe, mainly in France and Germany. Others are serving their sentences in the US, Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.

The Swiss foreign ministry will not reveal any more details, citing security and privacy reasons. However, if we compare previous data provided by the authorities on request with current data, a trend is emerging: in recent years, the number of Swiss nationals imprisoned abroad has increased; 25 years ago, the number was around 160.

Many of the detained Swiss are imprisoned in countries that are criticised by human rights organisations. In Russia, for example, four Swiss nationals are currently under house arrest or in detention. One of them has been charged with a drug offence.

One of the most recent and sensitive cases is the arrest of a Swiss citizen in Venezuela. He was detained at the beginning of January together with 126 other foreign nationals. They are charged as mercenaries involved in a plot to overthrow the government of President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro returned to power following a controversial election. The conditions in Venezuelan prisons are reported as“poor” and as being overrun by violence.

There are also Swiss nationals held in Syria.“The Swiss foreign ministry is aware of three men, a woman and her child, Swiss nationals, who are being held by the de facto Kurdish authorities in north-east Syria,” reads a statement on the Swiss foreign ministry's website.

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The best-known case is that of Daniel D.: the now 30-year-old left Geneva in 2015 to join the Islamic State group in Syria. He fought for four years and has been in a prison in north-east Syria since 2019, complaining of torture and ill-treatment. He has been requesting repatriation for three years.

However, the Swiss federal government has taken the position that it does not want to actively support the repatriation of people who have gone abroad to support terrorist organisations. Switzerland only examines whether repatriation is possible in the case of minors. And in such cases, the authorities review what the best interests are for the child. Additionally, the parents must agree to only their children being repatriated to Switzerland, while they themselves must remain in Syria.

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