Swiss neutrality law requires that no national territory be made accessible to warring parties and that no mercenaries be provided to them, and that they be treated equally in terms of armaments. Indifference in the face of clear violations of international law is not required by the law of neutrality nor by a consistent neutrality policy. Switzerland’s support for international sanctions strengthens the credibility of its neutrality.
Nor does the law of neutrality stand in the way of Switzerland’s participation in a gradual tightening of such sanctions – especially if the aim is to put an end to the financial support for a war of aggression that violates international law.
Hans-Jakob Mosimann, Dr. iur. (Zürich), M.A. Political Science (Virginia), was a judge at the Social Insurance Court of the Canton of Zurich from 1997 to 2021, which he presided three times for two years respectively. He is the author of numerous scientific publications and has also been a lecturer for constitutional and administrative law at the ZHAW, Winterthur/Switzerland, since 2004.
