Report finds Swiss government made human rights violations in arrest of journalist

Electronic Intifada director Ali Abunimah has spoken out after an official Swiss government report exposed “grave violations of democratic and human rights” by Swiss police and the government of the Zurich ‘Canton’ (ZC) when they arrested and deported him in January.

According to the report from the Control Committee of the Council of States, the parliamentary body that audits Swiss federal agencies, Swiss national police – ‘fedpol’ – initially refused a ZC request to ban and deport Abunimah when he arrived in Switzerland to give a talk, but then acceded under pressure from the Canton while keeping no records to justify the intervention and capitulation, undermining public confidence in the process and raising concerns about political pressure on legal procedures.

Swiss government accused of ‘grave violations’

While the report’s own wording is as dry as you’d expect from an official body of the nation known for its bureaucracy and punctuality, Abunimah’s response to it was a lot more pithy and to the point, stating that:

These grave violations of democratic and human rights were carried out to prevent me from speaking at lawful public events — organized by Swiss citizens and residents — calling for an end to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

As previously established, Fedpol initially rejected the request from Zurich Canton to issue an entry ban against me, finding — after consultation with the Swiss national intelligence service and the migration office — that my speech was protected under freedom of expression and that I posed no security threat.

I entered Switzerland lawfully only to be later abducted from the street by undercover police, taken to prison, and held for three days without being permitted to contact my family at any time, or to speak to my lawyer from the prison. I was then taken in handcuffs, in a cage, to the airport and expelled.

The report of the Control Committee confirms for the first time that Fedpol reversed its initial decision not to ban me after the personal intervention of its then-director Nicoletta della Valle.

He went on to highlight della Valle’s record of Zionism – and the fact that she then left fedpol for a highly-pad role with an Israeli company – and to call for action against any officials who abused their authority:

Della Valle is, as a matter of public record, notorious for her staunch support of Israel. Notably, shortly after leaving office as Fedpol director in April 2025, della Valle took a lucrative position with an Israeli investment firm — raising questions about conflict of interest and propriety. (https://bit.ly/47DBVs4)

These findings point to serious irregularities and abuses of power in the actions taken against me.

Confirmation of Nicoletta della Valle’s personal role raises grave concern that a senior Swiss law enforcement official may have abused her authority to advance the political interests of a foreign state committing genocide — in the process violating my fundamental rights and the democratic rights of Swiss citizens.

The abuses I suffered are the subject of ongoing legal action in Zurich cantonal and Swiss federal courts. I have instructed my lawyers to incorporate any relevant new evidence from the Control Committee report into this litigation.

I believe accountability is essential to defend democratic rights amid an escalating effort to silence criticism of Israel and repress growing global solidarity with the Palestinian people’s liberation struggle.

‘Politically motivated’ detention

Fellow Electronic Intifada journalist Asa Winstanley, who has also been one of many UK victims of state repression on behalf of Israel when his home was raided and devices seized by anti-terror police, told Skwawkbox that:

The latest revelations from Switzerland confirm what we thought at the time, which is that Ali’s detention at the time, almost certainly illegal, was politically motivated and influenced by anti-Palestinian, pro-Israel, pro-genocide forces within Switzerland and not by any objective criteria. This just goes to show once again the influence of the pro-Israel lobby in the West.

Abunimah is not the only Western journalist to face such persecution by the police forces of European states. British journalist Richard Medhurst was detained and had devices seized by UK police, but then also raided by police at his home in Austria. And, Medhurst’s specific case has been unduly influenced by the Israeli government in a similar way to the state interference in Abunimah’s deportation.

Germany, which has a record of violence against anti-genocide protesters also threatened Abunimah with jail for speaking out about Palestine. He is currently taking legal action against the Swiss authorities.

Featured image via X/Ali Abunimah