Swiss War Materiel and Arms Exports

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Seychelles: police weapons held by the army

Goods category: War materiel

During a Swiss end-use inspection in the Seychelles in 2016, several pistols and rifles procured for the police were with the army. The inspection report noted that the declared exclusive police use had therefore not been respected. One pistol could not be presented because, according to the local authorities, it was in use. The findings became public in 2017.

Effect of the proposed War Materiel Act revision

Under the new Article 22b, the Federal Council could depart from all the licensing criteria in Article 22a under vaguely defined ‘exceptional circumstances’. The public would not have to be informed. The Federal Council could add the Seychelles to Annex 2 by amending the War Materiel Ordinance. This would remove the exclusion criterion based on participation in an armed conflict and make approval the rule. The Federal Council could refuse a licence only in exceptional cases. Article 18 paragraph 1 would abolish non-re-export declarations in the vast majority of cases. Weapons for the Seychelles could thus easily be supplied through a subsidiary or intermediary in a third country.

Countries

Time period

Deliveries before 2016; end-use inspection in 2016

Sources

  • SonntagsZeitung, 16.07.2017, S. 5: Schweiz kontrolliert Waffenexporte – aber mit Einschränkungen (Christian Brönnimann)