Several countries have arrested Switzerland following the revelations of espionage of many countries by the German and American intelligence services via the Zugoise company Crypto. This was said on Saturday a spokesman for the Federal Department of Defense to the German newspapers of Tamedia.
There were “a few reactions from third countries towards Switzerland,” said the spokesperson, quoted in the article. It is not yet clear which countries have intervened and what their reactions have been.
According to the newspapers, Iran, South American governments, as well as India and Pakistan, are among the countries spied on. Last week, Federal Council spokeswoman Andre Simonazzi said he had received no reaction from a state potentially targeted by espionage.
Swiss authorities reportedly aware
The CIA and the German intelligence services (BND) have, for decades, intercepted thousands of documents via the encryption devices of the company Crypto. Using rigged devices, the CIA and BND have listened to the conversations of more than 100 foreign states.
The two intelligence services bought the Zugoise company equally in 1970, through a foundation in Liechtenstein. The BND left the operation in 1993. But the United States extended the tapping until 2018 at least, according to joint research by the broadcast of the SRF Rundschau, ZDF and the Washington Post.
According to their research, the Swiss authorities were aware of the espionage, which several former federal advisers recently denied. The Federal Council has commissioned an investigation to be overseen by former federal judge Niklaus Oberholzer. His report is expected in June.
