Secret files scandal
Encyclopedia
The Fichenaffäre or Secret Files Scandal shook public opinion
in Switzerland
in 1989. That year, it was revealed that the Swiss federal authorities, as well as the cantonal
police forces, had put in place a system of mass surveillance
of the population.
an nationals, but also Swiss citizens, organizations, firms, and various political groups, mostly on the left.
The scandal led to the reorganization of the BUPO, which since 1992 has been observed by a delegation of a Parliamentary Commission.
and its UNA department (Untertruppe Nachrichtensdienst und Abwehr) emerged, to the effect that they too were storing files. The Defence Department denied these charges, but a new parliamentary commission (PUK EMD) was formed in March 1990, under the direction of Senator Carlo Schmid
, with the task of investigating the Defence Department. In November 1990, this second commission confirmed the existence of secret, illegal files, as well as revealing the existence of P-26
, a secret stay-behind
army, and a secret intelligence gathering unit called P-27, both hidden inside the Swiss military secret service UNA. Only a month before, Italian premier, Giulio Andreotti
, revealed the existence of Gladio, a NATO stay-behind network present in all of the European countries.
was surprised to see that the police files contained all of his activities since 1965, although he had never been indicted before. The court had asked the police for his file. Rémy Pagani, also a member of the Syndicat des services publics (SSP, Public Services Trade-Union) and MP for the Alliance de gauche (Left-wing coalition, a party based in Geneva), confirmed during the same trial that the file listed his presence in demonstrations where he had not been arrested, as well as his participation in the occupation of a building in support of Nelson Mandela
, although he had not been arrested either for this act.
According to Rémy Pagani, Bernard Ziegler
, state counsellor in Geneva, had ensured after the files scandal that only those files containing information on crimes for which the citizen had been convicted would be kept. However, the 2005 trial showed that it hadn't been the case.
Public opinion
Public opinion is the aggregate of individual attitudes or beliefs held by the adult population. Public opinion can also be defined as the complex collection of opinions of many different people and the sum of all their views....
in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1989. That year, it was revealed that the Swiss federal authorities, as well as the cantonal
Cantons of Switzerland
The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
police forces, had put in place a system of mass surveillance
Mass surveillance
Mass surveillance is the pervasive surveillance of an entire population, or a substantial fraction thereof.Modern governments today commonly perform mass surveillance of their citizens, explaining that they believe that it is necessary to protect them from dangerous groups such as terrorists,...
of the population.
The scandal
Following allegations that within the Federal Department of Justice and Police (EJPD), the BUPO (Bundespolizei, or Swiss Federal Police charged with domestic intelligence) was secretly and illegally keeping secret files on both Swiss citizens and foreigners, a special parliamentary commission (PUK EJPD) was established. It gave its report in November 1989, demonstrating that the BUPO had kept more than 900,000 files in secret archives.. Files targeted Eastern EuropeEastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
an nationals, but also Swiss citizens, organizations, firms, and various political groups, mostly on the left.
The scandal led to the reorganization of the BUPO, which since 1992 has been observed by a delegation of a Parliamentary Commission.
Second commission and discovery of P-26
Furthermore, similar allegations concerning the Defence MinistryMilitary of Switzerland
The Swiss Armed Forces perform the roles of Switzerland's militia and regular army. Under the country's militia system, professional soldiers constitute about 5 percent of military personnel; the rest are male citizen conscripts 19 to 34 years old...
and its UNA department (Untertruppe Nachrichtensdienst und Abwehr) emerged, to the effect that they too were storing files. The Defence Department denied these charges, but a new parliamentary commission (PUK EMD) was formed in March 1990, under the direction of Senator Carlo Schmid
Carlo Schmid (Swiss politician)
Carlo Schmid-Sutter is a Swiss politician. Since 1984, he has been member of the cantonal government of Appenzell Innerrhoden....
, with the task of investigating the Defence Department. In November 1990, this second commission confirmed the existence of secret, illegal files, as well as revealing the existence of P-26
Projekt-26
Projekt-26, best known as P-26, was a stay-behind army in Switzerland charged with countering a possible invasion of the country. The existence of P-26 as secret intelligence agencies dissimulated in the military intelligence agency was revealed in November 1990 by the PUK EMD Parliamentary...
, a secret stay-behind
Stay-behind
In a stay-behind operation, a country places secret operatives or organisations in its own territory, for use in the event that the territory is overrun by an enemy. If this occurs, the operatives would then form the basis of a resistance movement, or would act as spies from behind enemy lines...
army, and a secret intelligence gathering unit called P-27, both hidden inside the Swiss military secret service UNA. Only a month before, Italian premier, Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti
Giulio Andreotti is an Italian politician of the now dissolved centrist Christian Democracy party. He served as the 42nd Prime Minister of Italy from 1972 to 1973, from 1976 to 1979 and from 1989 to 1992. He also served as Minister of the Interior , Defense Minister and Foreign Minister and he...
, revealed the existence of Gladio, a NATO stay-behind network present in all of the European countries.
Transfer of files
The police files themselves were transferred to the Swiss federal archives. A jurist, René Bacher, was designated "special officer" to take care of the political scandal. 300,000 people requested to see their files following the revelation of their existence.2005 trial
Left-wing activists had been the object of surveillance by Swiss authorities since the 20th century. In 2005, a Swiss trade-unionist indicted for having blocked public transport in GenevaGeneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
was surprised to see that the police files contained all of his activities since 1965, although he had never been indicted before. The court had asked the police for his file. Rémy Pagani, also a member of the Syndicat des services publics (SSP, Public Services Trade-Union) and MP for the Alliance de gauche (Left-wing coalition, a party based in Geneva), confirmed during the same trial that the file listed his presence in demonstrations where he had not been arrested, as well as his participation in the occupation of a building in support of Nelson Mandela
Nelson Mandela
Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
, although he had not been arrested either for this act.
According to Rémy Pagani, Bernard Ziegler
Bernard Ziegler
Bernard Ziegler is the former Airbus senior vice president for engineering. He is well known for his evangelical zeal for the application of the fly-by-wire system in the Airbuses. He is the son of the former Airbus CEO, Henri Ziegler....
, state counsellor in Geneva, had ensured after the files scandal that only those files containing information on crimes for which the citizen had been convicted would be kept. However, the 2005 trial showed that it hadn't been the case.
Further reading
- JOST Hans Ulrich, VUILLEUMIER Marc, UDRY Charles-André (et al.). Cent ans de police politique en Suisse (1889–1989). Histoire. Coéd. AEHMO (Association pour l’étude de l’histoire du mouvement ouvrier), Editions d’En Bas, Lausanne
- Engeler, Urs Paul (1990). Grosser Bruder Schweiz: wie aus wilden Demokraten überwachte Bürger wurden: die Geschichte der politischen Polizei. Weltwoche-ABC-Verlag, Zürich 1990.
See also
- Card index affair (national card index database kept by the Public Prosecutor's Office of Switzerland - see Case of Amman v. Switzerland at the European Court of Human RightsEuropean Court of Human RightsThe European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a supra-national court established by the European Convention on Human Rights and hears complaints that a contracting state has violated the human rights enshrined in the Convention and its protocols. Complaints can be brought by individuals or...
, 16 February 2000 - P-26Projekt-26Projekt-26, best known as P-26, was a stay-behind army in Switzerland charged with countering a possible invasion of the country. The existence of P-26 as secret intelligence agencies dissimulated in the military intelligence agency was revealed in November 1990 by the PUK EMD Parliamentary...
- Gladio
- Mass surveillanceMass surveillanceMass surveillance is the pervasive surveillance of an entire population, or a substantial fraction thereof.Modern governments today commonly perform mass surveillance of their citizens, explaining that they believe that it is necessary to protect them from dangerous groups such as terrorists,...
External links
- Parliamentary motion from the Member of the Swiss National Council Josef Lang on the non-censored publication of the Cornu report (administrative investigation on the relations between P-26Projekt-26Projekt-26, best known as P-26, was a stay-behind army in Switzerland charged with countering a possible invasion of the country. The existence of P-26 as secret intelligence agencies dissimulated in the military intelligence agency was revealed in November 1990 by the PUK EMD Parliamentary...
and others similar organizations in Europe)