Swiss Parliament today approved a bill that provides for the prosecution of those responsible for the “crime of assault” – as defined invasion and an attempt to gain political and military control over another sovereign state, something that hitherto did not exist in national law.

The bill’s approval came hours after a UN commission of inquiry said there was a “legal basis” to criminalize Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and attacks on Ukrainian military forces as “crimes of aggression.”

The inclusion of this provision in federal law will allow Switzerland to “strengthen the fight against impunity for the most serious crimes under international law,” according to a statement released after the Swiss parliament approved the bill by a vote of 127 to 1.53 against.

Thus, Swiss law has been brought into line with the amendments to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

^{Source: APE-MEB, Reuters}