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The city parliament wants the police to stop providing information again. Thanks to a federal court ruling, it could be successful and enforce its claim.
When the Zurich city police report an attack or an argument, they always state the nationality of the suspected person. She has had to provide this information since the voters of the canton of Zurich accepted the counter-proposal to an SVP initiative in 2021. The party had demanded that the police automatically state their nationality.
Against this background, representatives of the SVP criticized in the Zurich city parliament on Wednesday that the left-wing parties were sore losers. They wanted to circumvent a decision by the voters.
Left parties refer to the Federal Court
SP, Greens, GLP and AL, in turn, argued that the initial situation had changed. The Federal Court decided in October 2022 that the cantonal law when naming nationalities only applies to missing people and accident victims, but not to perpetrators. The national code of criminal procedure applies there.
Current practice must therefore be reconsidered and adapted. Furthermore, there is no connection between nationality and crime. It therefore makes no sense to mention nationality.
City councilor also against being named
In addition to the SVP, the FDP, the Center and the EVP also rejected the proposal. In the end, however, the left-wing parties prevailed and passed the initiative by 73 votes to 36.
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Green security chief Karin Rykart rejects automatic mention of nationality.
Keystone/Melanie duchene
The Zurich city council must now examine how nationality can be dispensed with in police reports. Exceptions should only be possible if nationality is relevant to the crime committed.
Green security chief Karin Rykart said: “I think it’s wrong that the police always mention nationality in their reports.” This would only reinforce prejudices. Unless there is an explicit connection to the crime, nationality does not provide an explanation for a crime.