Swiss Authorities Demand Participants in Gaza Support Convoys to Pay for "Consular Services"

SadaNews - A magazine report from Le Point stated that Swiss members participating in maritime convoys headed to the Gaza Strip are now being asked to reimburse the Swiss Confederation approximately 30,000 euros for assistance and repatriation costs.

Indeed, Swiss authorities have begun sending financial bills to 20 Swiss nationals who participated in maritime convoys to Gaza over the past months, according to Richard Werly in his report for the magazine.

The government is requiring these individuals to pay amounts ranging from 350 to 1150 euros for what it considers "consular services" provided to them after they were detained by Israeli authorities and subsequently deported, based on a government fee schedule that states individuals exposing themselves to risks in crisis areas must bear part of the evacuation and assistance costs, as reported by the magazine.

However, the affected participants vehemently oppose these bills, asserting that they did not benefit from any real protection and that what they received did not exceed a very brief consular visit before their deportation. One stated, "We met with a consular representative who was expelled shortly after, without even seeing half of us."

Some of these participants, such as activist Sébastien Dubignon, accuse Swiss diplomacy of negligence and lack of humanity, considering that the government is demanding payment for a service that was not rendered to them, as the magazine noted.

The "Waves of Freedom" Association, which had members participating in one of the convoys, described the government's decision as "disgraceful," stating, "We hope that the Swiss authorities will reverse this disgraceful decision and honor the courage of the Swiss activists who tried to support the Palestinian people, victims of genocide."

The newspaper "24 Heures" revealed that the association had previously been forced to pay a deposit of 5,000 francs before the release of the activists.

Participants have 30 days to pay the requested amounts, at a time when several of them, including former leftist politician and former mayor of Geneva Rémi Pagani, announced their intention to appeal this decision.