Swiss journalist faces prosecution over Raiffeisen reporting

The legal action centers on a series of reports Haessig published on his financial blog, Inside Paradeplatz, which exposed the activities that led to the 2022 fraud convictions of Vincenz and his associate, Beat Stocker. Although Zurich prosecutors initially dropped the investigation in December 2025, the High Court intervened this April, ruling that a court must determine how the controversial banking secrecy provision applies to the journalist’s work.

Article 47 of the Swiss Banking Act carries a penalty of up to three years in prison for disclosing confidential information leaked by bank insiders. Following a police raid on Haessig’s office and home in June 2025, Reporters Without Borders Switzerland condemned the charges, arguing that the law is being weaponized to intimidate the press. While the prosecution maintains that the presumption of innocence applies to the journalist, the case highlights the persistent tension between Switzerland’s rigid financial privacy laws and the necessity of investigative scrutiny.