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Swiss phone tapping

01 January 1993

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After a year long investigation a special parliamentary investigation group (PIG) of the Swiss parliament has concluded that phone tapping is not properly covered by the law. The phones of private companies, the Houses of parliament and state offices can be tapped but with no guarantee protecting the individuals concerned.

In 1991 the Federal Police Department carried out 32 phone taps and the cantons (states) of Switzerland 574 taps. The Swiss security service (Staatsschutz) carried out a further 40 plus taps. Most are said to be against organised crime and drug investigations. The PIG report says that "third parties" caught in the taps are not protected and that not all the people placed under surveillance are informed afterwards and given a chance to read and correct their files - as required by law.

Several of the phones tapped were in the Swiss parliament buildings including those used by journalists and public phones used by MPs. MPs reported that they have been repeatedly connected to the US embassy and to officials in the Justice Department when making outside calls.

Kommittee Schluss mit dem Schuffelstaat; MODUS vol 1 no 3, 1992.

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