Switzerland advances ban on Nazi symbols amid rising antisemitism

The Swiss government submitted legislation to parliament on Friday that would ban the public display of Nazi symbols, including the swastika, Hitler salute and other Nazi signs, in a move officials say is necessary to combat rising antisemitism.

The Swiss Criminal Code already allows prosecution of individuals who use Nazi, racist, extremist or violence-glorifying symbols for propaganda purposes. However, people who display such symbols without the intent to promote the ideology behind them generally cannot be penalized.

The new bill seeks to close that loophole by prohibiting public displays of clearly Nazi symbols regardless of intent.

The government said the legislation is needed in part because of a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents in recent years.

According to the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), “The year 2025 was once again marked by a high number of antisemitic incidents in Switzerland. Online, the number of antisemitic incidents continued to rise by 37%, while in the real world, a drop of almost 20% was recorded. Overall, the level remains significantly higher than before [Oct. 7] 2023.”

The proposed law prohibits “the use, wearing, display, or public dissemination of Nazi symbols, including flags, badges, emblems, gestures, slogans, and greetings.”

It also bans variations of those symbols, as well as their use in other forms of media, including “objects that represent or contain such symbols or variations, such as writings, audio or visual recordings, or images.”

The legislation provides exceptions when Nazi symbols are used for educational, scientific, artistic, journalistic or academic purposes.

Violations would carry a fine of 200 Swiss francs ($250).

Parliament requested that the government draft the legislation in 2024, and the forthcoming vote, which does not yet have a fixed date, is widely expected to pass.

“Nazi symbols represent an ideology that despises human life and is contrary to the fundamental values of a democratic and liberal society,” the Swiss government said in a statement. “Racism and antisemitism are unacceptable in our society.”

Switzerland officially remained neutral during World War II. However, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) and other Swiss banks purchased gold from Germany’s Reichsbank in transactions that historians say helped Nazi Germany finance its war effort.

Switzerland also restricted the entry of many Jewish refugees during the Holocaust and, in 1938, requested that Nazi Germany stamp the letter “J” in the passports of Jewish citizens, making it easier for Swiss authorities to identify and reject Jewish refugees seeking entry.