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One of the best-known Western Kremlin critics sharpened the tone towards Switzerland. At a state commission hearing in Washington on Tuesday, Bill Browder demanded that the US government impose sanctions on five Swiss government employees — including federal prosecutor Stefan Blättler and his predecessor Michael Lauber. It’s hard for him to make such a drastic demand, Browder said, but “the Swiss legal system doesn’t work anymore”.

Browder’s sharp criticism, leveled at a hearing of the US Helsinki Commission – a body that monitors compliance with the rule of law in Europe – again referred to the Magnitsky case.

Browder has been trying for years to prevent Switzerland from releasing blocked Russian funds. So far, however, his request has been rejected by the Swiss judiciary.

This, in turn, led Browder to accuse high-ranking Swiss government officials of being key accomplices of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin, at least since the start of the war in Ukraine.

There is no other way to explain the “outrageous” behavior of official Switzerland, Browder said in an interview with CH Media on Tuesday. So far, Bern has refrained from accepting sanctions against the main characters in the Magnitsky case, although the names of “these criminals” can be found on the corresponding US or UK sanctions lists.

Objective: Targets henchmen of the Kremlin oligarchs

Browder’s drastic request made sense at the hearing, which was attended by three Republicans and one Democrat. Senator Ben Cardin called Switzerland a “good friend” of the United States. However, a look into the past shows that the country also has downsides.

Essentially, it is “unacceptable” for Switzerland to help the Russian president evade harsh Western sanctions, Cardin said. It is therefore only logical to attack the henchmen of the Kremlin oligarchs in the future.

Republican MP Joe Wilson, currently chairman of the Helsinki Commission, called Switzerland the “weak link” of well-fortified Western democracies. “It is sad and heartbreaking” that “obviously” a country like Switzerland does not implement sanctions against the Russian regime, Wilson said.

US Senator: ‘I don’t have the information I need’

However, in an interview with CH Media, both MPs later softened their broad sides somewhat. For example, Wilson disagreed with Browder’s call for five Swiss officials to be placed on the US sanctions list. Instead, the right-wing deputy said he trusts the Swiss to solve this problem themselves.

Cardin, in turn, argued that he could not judge whether the name of the Swiss federal prosecutor belonged on the Magnitsky sanctions list. “I don’t have the necessary information,” said the left-wing senator.

The executive branch in Washington decides on sanctions against individuals or companies, with the State Department and the Treasury working together. Congress can pressure President Joe Biden’s administration; but normally the Senate and House of Representatives leave the detailed work to the specialists of the departments.

Reportedly, the “Helsinki Commission” wanted to invite the US ambassador to Switzerland as a source of information for the hearing. In an interview with the NZZ in the spring, Scott Miller criticized Switzerland’s sanctions policy in a highly undiplomatic manner.

The State Department allegedly blocked Miller’s appearance; The reason: an internal rule that generally prohibits ambassadors from giving information about their host country to Congress.

Switzerland firmly rejects the allegations

Browder said Tuesday he is not asking Washington to sever diplomatic ties with Switzerland. “That would be crazy,” he said in response to a question from Republican Senator Roger Wicker. During the conversation, the investor pointed out that his demands were extremely popular and that pressure on Switzerland was mounting.

Such a statement is difficult to prove. In fact, Tuesday’s hearing in Washington attracted little interest. The large conference room in an annex of the Capitol was half empty.

a Spokesman for the Swiss Embassy in Washington said Tuesday when asked:

(aargauerzeitung.ch)