The federal government of Switzerland announced that it intends to ban the public display of Nazi symbols such as swastikas, the Hitler salute, SS runes and other. This decision is a response to the increasing incidents of anti-Semitism lately observed in the Alpine country.
The Intercommunity Coordination against Antisemitism and Defamation (CICAD) reported that it had documented 944 incidents of anti-Semitism in the French-speaking region of Switzerland in 2023, marking a 68% increase from the prior year.
According to the official statement of the Swiss Federal Council, the proposed legislation seeks to address a legal gap that currently permits individuals to display such symbols, provided they do not actively advocate for the ideologies they represent.
The ban will specifically focus on prominent symbols associated with Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist regime, including modified modern representations such as the numeric codes ’18’ and ’88.’ Swiss federal government emphasized that the context of these displays will be critical in assessing their legality.
Certain exceptions to the ban have been established for educational, scientific, artistic, or journalistic purposes, thereby allowing the display of these prohibited symbols, images, and gestures under the rights of freedom of expression.
Additionally, existing religious symbols that may resemble those of the Third Reich will remain unaffected by this legislation.
Those who defy the new law will incur penalties amounting to 200 Swiss Francs ($224 or 213 euros).
The Federal Council said in its statement that “Racism and anti-Semitism are intolerable in a democratic and free society.”
The details of the proposed ban will be discussed by the government officials until March 31, 2025.
The proposed new law is the result of a parliamentary request, and is designed to be potentially applicable to other extremist, racist, and violence-glorifying symbols in a subsequent phase.
