You are committing a criminal offense: these donations to Ukraine are prohibited

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This story starts with a good intention and ends with the realization of what Swiss neutrality means on a small scale.

An ‘Observer’ reader wants to support the Ukrainian people with a donation. But her bank rejects the transfer. the woman asks. At the bank they explained to her that they could not rule out the possibility that the organization was collecting donations for the Ukrainian army. That is prohibited.

The reader is surprised. When transferring, she had specifically written ‘for civil projects’ in Freifeld. But the bank maintains its position: the risk that the money could be used for military purposes is too great. She refuses payment.

The reader didn’t want to donate to the military anyway. But it is also new to her that this is prohibited.

On Facebook, Instagram and the like you often see calls for donations that are explicitly intended to benefit the Ukrainian army. So what counts?

A matter of neutrality

“Donations to Ukraine intended for armaments or other war-related goods are prohibited,” confirms Fabian Maienfisch, media spokesperson at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (Seco). This is determined by a regulation. “Swiss banks must also adhere to this,” says Maienfisch. There are neutrality considerations behind this.

Banks may decide for themselves how restrictive their business operations are. “You just have to adhere to the legal framework.”

It is understandable that banks are cautious. “If it later turns out that a bank has carried out a transaction that went to the military, it should expect criminal consequences,” Maienfisch said. This also applies to private individuals. Caution is therefore advised when donating to organizations where military connections cannot be ruled out. Swiss neutrality also applies on a small scale.

Source:Blick