Whistleblower Protection in Switzerland is Frozen in Time, Report Finds

Whistleblower Network News: Retaliatory prosecution, loyalty oaths and an “intelligence system” comprised of business and political elites continue to severely limit the freedom of people in Switzerland to safely report corruption, a new report finds.

“Secrecy laws, the lack of transparency, and the failure to protect whistleblowers are viewed as significant problems both inside and outside the country,” concludes “Stalemate: Whistleblower Protection in Switzerland” by the Charles Léopold Mayer Foundation and Whistleblowing International Network.

“In Switzerland, dismissals, criminal and civil sanctions for breaching confidentiality, moral harassment, mobbing, discrimination and pressure are only some of the actions taken against whistleblowers,” the report says  ......

“In some sectors, such as banking,” it continues, “secrecy laws mean whistleblowers can and are held criminally liable for making disclosures.” Among those who have been prosecuted in Switzerland are tax evasion whistleblowers Rudolf Elmer of Julius Bär and Hervé Falciani of HSBC.  Whistleblower Network News.