Swiss police arrest director of Electronic Intifada news outlet
Al Mayadeen | January 26, 2025
Swiss authorities have detained Ali Abunimah, a Palestinian-American journalist and co-founder of the pro-Palestine news outlet The Electronic Intifada (EI).
Abunimah was reportedly questioned by Swiss police for an hour upon his arrival at Zurich airport on Friday before being granted entry into the city.
Reports suggest he was arrested the following day, ahead of a scheduled speaking event.
“Abunimah’s arrest appears to be part of a growing backlash from Western governments against expressions of solidarity with the Palestinian people,” the Electronic Intifada said.
The Chicago-based independent publication voiced its solidarity with Abunimah, stating, “Speaking out against injustice in Palestine is not a crime. Journalism is not a crime.”
In posts on his X account, the journalist condemned the Israeli genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip and expressed support for the Palestinian resistance against the occupation.
His latest article, published on The Electronic Intifada on January 18, was titled “How Gaza’s Resistance Defeated Israel.”
The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) emphasized that Abunimah has been a consistent advocate against “Israel’s” injustices in Palestine, highlighting that his arrest appears to be a direct result of his outspoken activism.
“Abunimah’s arrest is a stark reminder of the increasing attempts to stifle voices calling for justice and accountability,” it pointed out.
Belgian-Lebanese activist Dyab Abou Jahjah, founder of the Hind Rajab Foundation, described Abunimah as a “political prisoner” and demanded his immediate release.
Last year, British police raided the home of Asa Winstanley, an associate editor with EI, and seized his computers and phones.
Swiss People’s Party Demands Resignation: Defense Minister Under Fire for Security Policy Failures
Sputnik – 12.01.2025
According to the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), Switzerland is incapable of guaranteeing internal and external security because of its arms deliveries to Ukraine and its rapprochement with NATO.
The Swiss People’s Party, Switzerland’s largest political force, has called on the head of the country’s Defense Ministry, Viola Amherd, to resign over her failed security policy.
“The fact that Switzerland can no longer guarantee its internal and external security is the result of political mistakes – and a consequence of wrong appointments,” a statement read.
Viola Amherd is also blamed for the country’s rapprochement with NATO.
“Those who are gradually tying Switzerland to NATO are accepting that young Swiss are dying abroad and that Switzerland is being dragged into foreign conflicts,” the Swiss People’s Party said.
According to the SVP, Amherd prefers to deal with gender issues in the armed forces rather than military equipment.
“She allows weapons ordered for Switzerland to be delivered to Ukraine. These are the wrong priorities, Federal Councillor,” the SVP said in a statement.
In late October 2024, Amherd said that Bern should ease restrictions on the re-export of Swiss weapons because of the country’s arms business. She cited the fact that the Netherlands had already decided to stop buying weapons from the nation because of the current ban on re-exports, and that Germany could follow suit.
Russia believes that arms supplies to Ukraine hinder a settlement and directly involve NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would be a legitimate target for Russia. According to Lavrov, the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict, not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries. The Kremlin stated that the West pumping Ukraine with weapons does not contribute to negotiations and would have a negative effect.
Switzerland’s UDC Party Accuses Government of Undermining Country’s Neutrality
Sputnik – 22.08.2024
The largest party in the Swiss parliament, the Democratic Union of the Centre (UDC), accused President Viola Amherd and the government of undermining Switzerland’s neutrality by seeking to join the EU’s Military Mobility project.
On Wednesday, the Swiss government said that it intends to join the EU’s Military Mobility project, which aims to facilitate the movement of troops and military equipment across European territory.
“The UDC resolutely opposes Switzerland’s participation in the EU military pact PESCO [Permanent Structured Cooperation]. The Federal Council is thus frivolously abandoning the neutrality and sovereignty of our country. By participating in the EU military pact, the Federal Council, through gross negligence, is also endangering the security of the Swiss population. The UDC demands that the Federal Council bring this issue before parliament without fail,” the party said in a statement on Wednesday.
The UDC also accused the European Union of pursuing an expansionist policy in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
“The goals of Switzerland as a neutral and sovereign state do not coincide at all with the goals of the EU. Especially since the EU considers itself a geopolitical player and pursues an obvious expansionist policy towards Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova,” the party added.
Switzerland is not a member of the European Union or NATO. However, the Swiss Foreign Ministry’s 2022 foreign policy report announced the country’s intention to strengthen security cooperation with the alliance. In 2024 the Swiss military are expected to take part in 20 military drills beyond the country’s territory and in four drills within its soil, all of which involve NATO states.
“Ukraine is bleeding to death” – retired German general calls for a way out of Ukrainian conflict
By Ahmed Adel | May 17, 2024
Retired German general Roland Kather, on the TV channel Die Welt, called for examining possible scenarios for exiting the Ukrainian conflict. On the same day as Kather’s comments, retired colonel and former Swiss intelligence officer Jacques Baud said that US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin could not define what would be considered a victory in Ukraine.
“Ukraine is gradually running out of blood. It does not have enough personnel to create an appropriate reserve,” Kather noted, adding that Ukrainian soldiers are “tired, weak,” and their morale has fallen.
The presenter asked Kather if it is necessary to start “at least thinking” now about what the exit scenarios for this “war of attrition” might be.
“For months, we can say, since the beginning of this terrible war of attrition, I have always advocated that behind the scenes – at least not publicly, not in the media – think about, as you said, what exit scenarios are possible,” said the general.
However, Kather acknowledged that this would be “very difficult” if one side or the other saw military opportunities for progress.
It is recalled that in an interview with US journalist Tucker Carlson, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that negotiations with Ukraine in 2022 were almost completed. However, after the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kiev, the Ukrainian side “threw away” all agreements, and later, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky legislatively banned any negotiations with Russia.
Kather’s comments come as Baud said in an interview with the YouTube channel Dialogue Works that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has failed to define what victory over Russia in Ukraine means to him.
During the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin was asked to determine what would be considered a victory in Ukraine, and he was unable to answer the question, the expert noted.
Baud stressed that if the West does not know why it is fighting in Eastern Europe, it will not be able to conduct combat operations and prevail. According to him, without a strategy, tactics are just noise before defeat. The former military officer said this is exactly what we are witnessing in Ukraine with the North American and Ukrainian approaches.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on May 13 that Moscow is ready if the West wants to resolve the Ukrainian crisis on the battlefield. Russia’s top diplomat also highlighted that the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland, scheduled for mid-June and to which Russia was not invited, is only for drawing up an ultimatum for Moscow.
Although Switzerland has not invited Russia to the conference, China, Brazil, and other major Global South countries have been pushing to involve Moscow in the process. Russia said it is not against peace negotiations, but even if invited, it would not participate because it does not consider Switzerland a neutral actor since the country joined US-led sanctions against Moscow, discrediting its role as a mediator to the conflict.
Effectively, Switzerland’s neutrality is a sham, and the peace conference will achieve nothing in ending the war since Russia was obviously not invited despite being in control of the situation on the ground and continuing to liberate territory. Therefore, while Switzerland and the West will pretend to work for peace in Ukraine and give self-adulation, Ukraine will continue “running out of blood,” as Kather highlighted.
Last month, former Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu revealed that Ukraine had suffered half a million personnel losses since Moscow launched its special military operation in February 2022. 215,000 Ukrainian soldiers were lost in 2023 alone. This is a calamitous loss of life or permanent injury for survivors.
Despite self-adulation and promises of never-ending support for Ukraine, the US and Europe will not be able to continue providing endless cash flow to Ukraine since they are already struggling with economic crises, growing unemployment, and multiple social issues. This reality once again raises questions about the purpose of the Swiss peace conference since Russia is not participating.
Yet, with the Ukrainian military “running out of blood,” President Volodymyr Zelensky is refusing to accept reality. Instead, according to The Guardian, the Kiev regime believes they can win the war. The British newspaper said, “Nonetheless, it is true that the prospect of some decisive breakthrough routing Russian troops from Ukrainian soil looks more remote than ever.” Essentially, the longer Zelensky and the West allow the war to go on, the culling of young Ukrainians will continue at a catastrophic rate.
Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher.
Western media sees spies and saboteurs everywhere
By Patrick Poppel | April 29, 2024
An article entitled “Spies and Saboteurs” was published in the NZZ (Neue Züricher Zeitung). This choice of words reminds us very much of the time of the Second World War. A Russian agent is now suspected behind every corner in Europe. There were even reports of planned attacks by the Russian secret service on German soil. But most of the allegations concern disinformation and cyberattacks that are intended to destabilize Germany from Russia.
This article in the so-called “quality medium” is not an isolated case in the media world of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Just a few days ago there was a scandal in Austria because an employee of the secret service was accused of working as a spy for Russia. Whether this is true or not, this person was immediately shown to be close to the opposition FPÖ party. In many Austrian media, bizarre connections to other political figures were described, without being able to prove this. The target of this report was clearly not this “agent” but the opposition party.
This anti-Russian opinion formation now flanks the anti-democratic and totalitarian developments, as there is already discussion in Germany about banning a party (AFD) that does not correspond to the mainstream.
The role of the systemic media in manipulating the political landscape must be questioned more closely in the future. Especially because they are financed by public structures. These media create an atmosphere in society, which is used as a basis for discussions in parliament and even changes in laws.
But it’s not just the media that is working against the opposition. There are now also demonstrations against the opposition in Germany, which are massively supported by the state media. These “protests against the right” must be analyzed as an artificially created movement. State-funded media, cultural associations and artists are gathering people here to take to the streets against the opposition.
The AFD in Germany and the FPÖ in Austria are repeatedly described as pro-Russian and individuals there have often been asked to explicitly distance themselves from Russia. Apart from that, these political forces cannot be described as pro-Russian, as they include many transatlantic politicians.
We have to ask ourselves why such a major campaign is now being organized against the opposition. The answer is that the system can no longer explain its own incompetence and work against the state’s sovereign interests. Only when you point your finger at someone do three fingers point back at you.
Fear of Russian espionage and sabotage is currently at a peak in Europe. It is expected that this situation will not change soon. This fear has existed in Eastern Europe for years, but now the West is also mired in this paranoia.
It is important to the media in the West to create threats and enemy images. Russia is currently the target of this propaganda. But in the future it could also become a different state. Just as people are afraid of Russia’s spies today, tomorrow they might be afraid of China’s economy or Africa waking up.
Europe is in a difficult situation due to geopolitical changes. And systems that get into trouble often tend to act irrationally. These are difficult times for the political opposition and happy journalists in Europe. Anyone who doesn’t follow the mainstream is excluded and attacked in the media.
However, these political and media instruments could also be just the beginning of further development. The first arrests have already been made and the investigation is continuing. The search for “enemies of the state” will not stop. In this context, one should just think about who the enemies of democracy are here.
Such a division in society never existed in Western Europe, even during the Cold War. Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict in 2014, the mass migration in 2015 and the ongoing climate hysteria, society in the West has been divided into two groups. These two groups have no common points of contact with each other.
This is a very dangerous domestic political development. And the current media propaganda is not helping to ease the mood between the government and the opposition. It will only achieve the opposite and divide society even further.
The defamation of the opposition through these espionage scandals is a new stage in the political struggle and allows us to see exactly how cooperation between Western secret services, lobbyists, governments and the media works.
Patrick Poppel is an expert at the Center for Geostrategic Studies in Belgrade.
Censorship & persecution of dissident voices continues across the world
The ‘cautionary tale’ modus operandi
Health Advisory & Recovery Team | April 15, 2024
Those who, like the members of HART, have been speaking out for three or four years about the perils of lockdowns, the lack of access to proper medical care and the utter debacle of the unsafe and ineffective vaccines, keep hoping the tide is turning. But for every stone upturned another boulder seems to descend to crush the truth. There is also no apparent end to the persecution of doctors speaking out.
Two physicians from opposite ends of the world and facing loss of their medical careers for speaking out against the vaccine saviour narrative, typify the current authoritarian approach. Charles Hoffe from Canada and Shankara Chetty from South Africa have two things in common, firstly both are clinicians serving a large local population and secondly both have shared their experiences widely. In Dr Chetty’s case he has reported his success at treating over 1000 covid patients with a combination of repurposed drugs including antihistamines in a clinical centre in rural South Africa with no access to oxygen let alone intensive care. In Dr Hoffe’s case, he first hit the headlines when he reported a high frequency of serious adverse events when his patients started receiving the mRNA vaccines.
Both these hard working and ethical physicians now, three years on, are being subjected to investigations by their medical boards. For Dr Chetty, he has previously been found guilty of professional misconduct but was called to attend a further hearing last week in front of the Health Professionals Council of South Africa. The results of their deliberations are awaited.
For Charles Hoffe the situation is even more bizarre. He was due for a hearing last week but when he submitted all the supportive evidence for his case, the health board in British Columbia deposited a large amount of evidence of their own but then threatened to invoke a ruling by which their evidence would be accepted as ‘fact’ by the court and Dr Hoffe and his legal team would be unable to cross question the data or present any information to the contrary. It looks like the right to a free trial has been abandoned in Canada, along with the right to free speech.
Below is a list of some senior clinicians and academics from across the world who have been vilified for speaking truth to power. It is by no means comprehensive.
USA:
Canada:
Australia:
- Dr Robert Brennan
- Dr Melissa McCann (subject to ‘re-education’)
- Dr Ros Neelon-Cook
- Dr Paul Oosterhuis
New Zealand:
Germany:
- Sucharit Bhakdi (acquitted of charge of antisemitism)
France:
- Dr Didier Raoult (an outspoken academic accused of unethical practice)
Switzerland:
- Thomas Binder (initially incarcerated in a mental institution)
UK:
- Dr David Cartland (GMC investigation ongoing)
- Professor Angus Dalgleish (clinical work suspended by St George’s Hospital)
- Dr Jayne Donegan (struck off by GMC, working as an independent)
- Professor Christopher Exley (told by Keele University to discontinue all research into Aluminium toxicity)
- Dr Aseem Malhotra (GMC initially declined to investigate until a legal case was brought to force an investigation)
- Mr Ahmad Malik (suspended by his private hospital for online posts)
- Dr Sarah Myhill (suspended by GMC, appeal pending)
- Dr Anne McCloskey (suspended by GMC in 2021, further hearing April 2024)
- Dr Sam White (NHS suspended him and GMC placed restrictions which were overturned in the High Court, currently working in independent practice)
This list is continuing to grow despite the increasing reports in the scientific literature which confirm almost everything they have said.
When does it stop?
Switzerland to hold referendum on Russia sanctions
RT | April 12, 2024
Swiss activists backed by the country’s top political party have filed a petition with enough signatures to trigger a referendum that could enshrine Bern’s neutrality in the constitution and potentially restore the country’s economic ties with Moscow.
The so-called “Neutrality Initiative” signed by over 130,000 residents was officially filed on Thursday, according to Swissinfo. The proposal would define Switzerland’s neutrality as “perpetual and armed,” and explicitly prohibit the country from joining “any military or defense alliance,” unless directly attacked.
The proposed constitutional amendment would also prevent the government from imposing or joining any form of “non-military coercive measures” and sanctions, unless mandated by the UN Security Council. However, Bern would still reserve obligations to prevent circumvention of sanctions imposed by other states.
Switzerland has maintained a policy of neutrality since 1815, and did not take sides in either of the two world wars. While not officially a member of any international blocs, such as the EU or NATO, Switzerland has nevertheless joined nearly all of the Western sanctions imposed on Moscow, frozen billions of dollars’ worth of its assets, and actively supported Kiev following the launch of Russia’s offensive in Ukraine in 2022.
According to Russia’s top diplomat, Sergey Lavrov, the Swiss government has abandoned its neutrality by adopting a national security strategy that aims to develop European security “not with Russia, but against it.”
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, Bern has sent economic aid to Kiev, but has refused to supply weapons or allow other countries to send Swiss arms or ammunition. Some members of the Swiss government have been calling for the relaxation of this policy, but the Swiss People’s party (SVP) and the Social Democrats (SP) have been critical of such suggestions.
The SVP, which campaigned on a pro-neutrality and anti-immigration platform, emerged as the main winner in the general election in October, garnering 28.6% of the vote. The Social SP, which supports a less strict neutrality but firmly opposes entry into military blocs, trailed behind with 18%.
The SVP said on Thursday that sanctions against Russia “are endangering the internal peace and stability of our country,” welcoming news of the referendum. “If all states behaved like Switzerland, there would be no war,” the party said.
The neutrality initiative also calls on Switzerland to act as a mediator and use its “perpetual neutrality to prevent and resolve conflicts.” Bern wants to host a major peace conference on the Ukraine conflict sometime this year, reportedly inviting up to 100 nations, mostly from the Global South, to attend.
However, Moscow has called the conference that Bern is suggesting “pointless” and has indicated it has no intention of participating, even if officially invited. Russia said the forum as envisaged would be dedicated to the promotion of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s ultimatum, which Moscow has panned as unrealistic. The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed it remains open to discussions, but only if Kiev recognizes the “reality on the ground.”
Switzerland’s Largest Party Calls for Return to Neutrality in All Conflicts – Statement
Sputnik – 11.04.2024
The Swiss People’s Party (UDC), which holds the majority in parliament, has said on Thursday that the country should return to holding neutrality in all conflicts.
“Switzerland must strictly return to its perpetual and armed neutrality,” the statement said.
Armed neutrality means that Switzerland must be able to protect and defend itself, while the perpetual neutrality means that the country will be credible only if it remains neutral without any exceptions, the UDC explained.
The UDC also demands that all sanctions that have not been adopted by the UN Security Council are lifted, the statement said.
Russia says no to Switzerland ‘peace conference’
RT | March 13, 2024
Moscow has no intention of participating in a proposed Swiss-hosted peace conference on the Ukraine conflict, even if it is officially invited, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has stated.
The official response follows recent media reports that China and Switzerland have been pushing to get Russia invited to the talks. Last month, Switzerland announced plans to organize a peace summit “by the summer.” No specific date has been named as of yet. The list of participants has also not been revealed. However, Ukraine has indicated that Russia can only be invited if it agrees in advance to a litany of preconditions.
“This forum will be dedicated to promoting the ultimatum ‘Zelensky peace formula,’ although its Swiss organizers pretend that they are looking for a common denominator in the peace initiatives of different countries,” Zakharova said, according to a press release issued on Wednesday on the ministry’s website.
She explained that Zelensky’s plan includes a number of unrealistic terms, including the withdrawal of Russian troops to Ukraine’s 1991 borders, holding Moscow accountable and paying reparations, as well as provisions on food, nuclear safety, energy, ecology, and humanitarian problems. Kiev’s basic demands remain the same, while legitimate Russian interests are being ignored, Zakharova said.
“So, the upcoming conference is a continuation of meetings in the Copenhagen format, which initially discredited themselves, and now have reached a dead end.”
Moscow is convinced that “Switzerland can hardly serve as a platform for various peacekeeping efforts, since this presupposes a neutral status, which Bern has lost,” the spokeswoman claimed.
“All this makes Russia’s participation in the aforementioned ‘peace conference’ pointless as it doesn’t matter whether it will be held in one, two or five stages – its ultimatum essence, promoted by Kiev and its masters, does not change from this,” Zakharova concluded.
Ukraine’s Western backers insist that a peace settlement can only be achieved on Kiev’s terms and have vowed to continue weapons deliveries for “as long as it takes.” Russia, meanwhile, has stressed that no amount of foreign aid will change the course of the conflict.
Peace negotiations between Moscow and Kiev were held in the spring of 2022, but broke down with both sides accusing each other of making unrealistic demands.
Russian President Vladimir Putin subsequently said the Ukrainian delegation had initially agreed with some of Russia’s terms during the talks in Istanbul that March, but then abruptly reneged on the deal.
The Kremlin has repeatedly stressed that it remains open to meaningful discussions and has blamed the lack of a diplomatic breakthrough on the Ukrainian authorities.
Pro-neutrality party wins Swiss election
RT | October 23, 2023
The Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which campaigned on a pro-neutrality and anti-immigration platform, emerged as the main winner in Switzerland’s general election on Sunday, garnering 28.6% of the vote.
Amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict, some politicians and officials in the country had been calling for closer alignment with NATO and the abandonment of strict neutrality.
The result represented an increase of three percentage points from the SVP’s showing in 2019. The Social Democrats trailed behind with 18%, with several other parties receiving less than 15% each. The Green Party appears to have been the main loser with a little over 9% – almost four percentage points less than in the previous election.
The right-wing SVP thus gained nine seats in the 200-seat National Council, bringing the number of its representatives to 62.
The SVP has been the most popular political force in Switzerland over the past two decades, but the result on Sunday is among its best on record.
The party wants to restrict immigration to keep the country’s population under a threshold of 10 million, citing overstretched infrastructure and a lack of housing.
The SVP also insists that Switzerland should remain neutral despite recent geopolitical tensions in Europe.
Back in August, a policy document released by the Swiss Army detailed plans to step up its military cooperation with NATO “as much as possible.” Swiss military leaders advocated bringing the army’s operations in line with NATO doctrine, as well as joining the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) defense framework and its European Sky Shield Initiative.
These measures were necessary due to the Ukraine conflict, the report said, claiming that an “epoch of peace in Europe is coming to an end.”
Switzerland has maintained a policy of neutrality since 1815, and did not take sides in either of the two world wars. Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, the country has imposed sanctions on Russia, taking its cue from the EU, and sent economic aid to Kiev, but has refused to supply weapons or allow other countries to send Swiss arms or ammunition to Ukraine.
However, some members of the Swiss government have been calling for the relaxation of this long-standing foreign policy. The Swiss People’s Party and the Social Democratic Party have been critical of such suggestions.
Speaking to the Russian media back in February, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Russia no longer viewed Switzerland as neutral after it joined the “West’s illegal unilateral sanctions.” The diplomat noted that this move disqualified Bern as a potential mediator in the conflict.
Swiss aim to classify details of bank collapse for 50 years
RT | July 18, 2023
A parliamentary investigation into the collapse of Switzerland’s banking giant Credit Suisse will keep its files confidential for half a century, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing a parliamentary committee document.
According to the report, the investigating commission will hand over its files to the Swiss Federal Archives after longer than the usual 30 years to ensure confidentiality in the case, which focuses on the activities of the Swiss government, financial regulator, and central bank in the run up to the emergency takeover of Credit Suisse.
The announcement has raised concerns in the Swiss Society for History, with its president Sacha Zala reportedly writing to the commission that “Should researchers want to scientifically investigate the 2023 banking crisis, access to the CS files would be invaluable.”
At its first regular meeting in Bern last week, the committee was quoted by Reuters as saying that “all persons participating in the meetings and the questioning are subject to the duty of secrecy, not only the members of the commission, but also the interviewees themselves.”
It warned that “indiscretions complicate the work or damage the credibility of the commission and can have negative consequences for the Swiss financial center.”
Credit Suisse, the second-largest bank in Switzerland, faced a string of scandals, legal issues, and customer outflows in recent years. In 2022 the bank reported a net loss of 7.3 billion francs ($8.5 billion). This March, its biggest investor, Saudi National Bank, announced that it would not be able to provide financial assistance due to regulatory and statutory limits.
Later in the month, Credit Suisse’s rival UBS agreed to buy the struggling institution for the equivalent of $3.25 billion in a government-brokered deal. The merger, the biggest banking tie-up since the 2008 financial crisis, came amid growing fears of a broader contagion after several regional banks collapsed in the US. The acquisition ended Credit Suisse’s 167-year history while the whole affair has dealt a blow to Switzerland’s reputation as a stable global financial center.