The Federal Council adopts Ordinance banning the Islamic State Group and related organisations

Bern, 08.10.2014 - At its meeting today, the Federal Council adopted the Ordinance on the Prohibition of the Islamic State Group and Related Organisations. The Ordinance will come into force tomorrow, 9 October 2014.

The Islamic State Group commits grave violations of human rights. Due to the escalation in its atrocities in the past few weeks, the Federal Council today decided to ban the group by issuing an Ordinance which not only prohibits any activities by the organisation in Switzerland and abroad, but also bans any activities that provide the organisation with support in the form of material or human resources, such as propaganda and fundraising campaigns or the recruitment of new members. Offences under the new ordinance will carry a sentence of imprisonment of up to three years or a monetary penalty, unless stricter criminal provisions apply. Where applicable, assets of the organisation will be forfeited.

In the light of these developments and of the threat to Switzerland's internal and external security, the Federal Council today adopted the Ordinance on the Prohibition of the Islamic State Group and Related Organisations. The Ordinance will come into force tomorrow, 9 October 2014, and will initially apply for six months. The DDPS has been assigned the task of submitting proposals to the Federal Council by the end of 2014 on guaranteeing the prohibition of the Islamic State Group and related organisations as well as the continuation of the ban on Al Qaeda and related organisations.

Currently there are no plans for a federal act imposing a general ban on these organisations. However, the Federal Council is prepared to discuss solutions if related proposals are submitted, for example in the course of current procedures to introduce the Intelligence Service Act.


Address for enquiries

Renato Kalbermatten
DDPS spokesman
058 464 88 75
Renato.Kalbermatten@gs-vbs.admin.ch


Publisher

The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html

Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
http://www.vbs.admin.ch

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-54773.html