Switzerland has no extradition agreement with some of the EU / European countries!

[ImKing]

The last day I learned that Switzerland has no extradition agreement with many of the EU / European countries. That mean, if you lived in a particular country and cheated your tax auth. for tax, VAT etc. & you're willing to relicate (also you must have money for that) to the Switzerland, they can't get you there.

This is completely new for me, I don't even have seen other countries doing this nor discussions about that around here.

Here is some basics
https://www.ejpd.admin.ch/bj/en/home/sicherheit/rechtshilfe/strafsachen/auslieferung.html

 

[CyprusLawyer101]

This matters will become more relevant the more people relocate to other countries with an escape or tax avoidance motive.

 

[OTR365]

they can't get you there.

I think it is more complicated than that, and the lack of an extradition treaty is not a 100% guarantee. Switzerland extradition was briefly discussed in this thread.

Dubai is a well-known safe-haven for people with problems with law in their home countries. That is changing, but tax evaders are probably the last ones to be extradited.

There is a curious case of North Cyprus, which is recognized as a country only by Turkey. Extraditing from that place could be difficult.

 

[ImKing]

Is there a list of countries that act similar as Dubai and Switzerland does right now?

Also these changes won't hit me if I take the chance and move to the UAE:

The new treaties are being discussed and signed with Pakistan, Russia, France, Germany, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Yemen.

 

[Golden Fleece]

Brazil constitutionally guarantees its citizens protection from being extradited to a foreign country in Provision 51 of its “Fundamental Rights and Guarantees.” The only exception to this provision is if they commit a crime and then become naturalized or if the crime involves trafficking of illegal narcotics. Brazil is also one of the easiest countries in which to gain citizenship through the normal process.

https://www.jackcentral.org/news/u-...cle_46cf523a-8aae-11e6-a0d7-7b23fe457073.html
Bear in mind that having no extradition agreement typically applies only to citizens of those nations and not necessarily to mere residents or visitors. So, you must typically gain citizenship first.

 

[clemens]

I was searching the web for the topic and came back here

Thanks for the information, really useful.

 

[pixbix]

The last day I learned that Switzerland has no extradition agreement with many of the EU / European countries. That mean, if you lived in a particular country and cheated your tax auth. for tax, VAT etc. & you're willing to relicate (also you must have money for that) to the Switzerland, they can't get you there.

This is completely new for me, I don't even have seen other countries doing this nor discussions about that around here.

Here is some basics
https://www.ejpd.admin.ch/bj/en/home/sicherheit/rechtshilfe/strafsachen/auslieferung.html

Sure, but one day that thing will be changed, then your state will take everything you accumulated there : stocks, house, car,everything.

 

[JohnnyDoe]

If you are a Swiss citizen you are likely not to be extradited. If you are just a resident, they will simply cancel your permit.

 

[pixbix]

If you are a Swiss citizen you are likely not to be extradited. If you are just a resident, they will simply cancel your permit.

Also it's useless if you own taxes, right ? because you will accumulate wealth that one day you will just lose

 

[Cocopops]

Switzerland is also a country that keeps neutrality during the wars,
Swiss adopt new EU sanctions on Russia, allow oil payments
Oops, personally I wouldn't trust switzerland anymore since it is not a country but a part of the EU..

 

[JohnLocke]

since it is not a country but a part of the EU..

They are part of Europe but not EU.

I agree, they are not what they have used to be, but still useful in many ways.

 

[Praetorian]

I'd rather go to Dubai or some corrupt third world country where you can bribe your way to safety if i was at risk of extradition.

Switzerland is not a safe haven unless you're a citizen, and you'll be dealing with other problems: Extremely high costs of living, swiss arrogance lol, banks that will rat you out at the first sign of a law enforcement request/subpoena unless you're worth billions of dollars which will make your legal problems even worse down the road. Overall i'd avoid the place unless you have 100m plus in net worth where everyone will bend the knee to help your case.

Regarding extradition, from my experience, you're unlikely to get extradited unless you owe dozens of millions. (With the exception of France and Spain which are total sharks when it comes to tax lawsuits). I've seen guys who owed 10-15 millions to the CRA in Canada move to Monaco without hindrance and no extradition ever happened to them.

 

[JohnLocke]

To know if Switzerland execute an extradition or not you may have a personal case first, then you will see. Each case is based on and individual point of view and situation. It's hard to say if it works or not for me, you or your friend.

But the prerequisite for moving to another country if you have this kind of problem is to move to a country with no extradition agreement. That's where I would start at least

 

[wellington]

To know if Switzerland execute an extradition or not you may have a personal case first, then you will see. Each case is based on and individual point of view and situation. It's hard to say if it works or not for me, you or your friend.

But the prerequisite for moving to another country if you have this kind of problem is to move to a country with no extradition agreement. That's where I would start at least

Just going to point out, although there is no extradition (say with the US and Dubai for example), they do share information (financial) and at times, they do make people person non-grata, where they are picked up by FBI agents at the boarding gate for their exit out of the country (hush puppy).

So if you intend to evade taxes, don't be surprised to be extradited in a form, also Dubai traditionally didn't work with countries as the act(s) themselves were not crimes in Dubai (that's changing with tax introduction etc).

Best to simply move to a Territorial tax location and structure companies overseas and bring money in based on the tax free method than f**k around playing games with a competent (and increasingly resillient) tax agency.

 

[JohnLocke]

I understand that if you are into something illegal in big scale it is not a safe house. However, for simple tax cases it may be well fine. There are known cases where someone owe some countries tax authorities 20 million and they can't go after him.

 

[GrumpyMess]

There are known cases where someone owe some countries tax authorities 20 million and they can't go after him.

Why they can't?

 

[jafo]

Brazil constitutionally guarantees its citizens protection from being extradited to a foreign country in Provision 51 of its “Fundamental Rights and Guarantees.” The only exception to this provision is if they commit a crime and then become naturalized or if the crime involves trafficking of illegal narcotics. Brazil is also one of the easiest countries in which to gain citizenship through the normal process.

https://www.jackcentral.org/news/u-...cle_46cf523a-8aae-11e6-a0d7-7b23fe457073.html
Bear in mind that having no extradition agreement typically applies only to citizens of those nations and not necessarily to mere residents or visitors. So, you must typically gain citizenship first.

This is NOT true!
Cláudia Cristina Sobral was born in Brazil and had Brazilian citizenship.
At a point in time, she moved to the US, met US Air Force Major Karl Hoerig, and got married. She later, through marriage, received US citizenship and adopted her married name Cláudia Hoerig.
Karl Hoerig abused Cláudia. In self-defense, Cláudia killed Karl. She grabbed her Brazilian passport and fled back to Brazil. The country she was born in and had ALL her family!
The Americans told the Brazilian Supreme Court: "She renounced her Brazilian citizenship upon accepting the American one and she was NO longer a Brazilian citizen."
The Brazilian supreme court agreed with the Americans & approved her extradition to the US.

Here you can read the Brazilian official verdict: 1ª Turma do STF mantém extradição de mulher que renunciou à nacionalidade brasileira

Claudia Hoerig is now serving a life sentence in the US: The Hoerig Trial: Claudia Hoerig sentenced to life victim family reacts

Brazil allows and recognizes multiple citizenships (and the Kangaroo Court claimed it's valid as long as they are through ancestry )

My personal take: If you commit ANY crime and are afraid of being extradited, go to Russia! Case closed!

 

[littleman]

This is NOT true!
Cláudia Cristina Sobral was born in Brazil and had Brazilian citizenship.
At a point in time, she moved to the US, met US Air Force Major Karl Hoerig, and got married. She later, through marriage, received US citizenship and adopted her married name Cláudia Hoerig.
Karl Hoerig abused Cláudia. In self-defense, Cláudia killed Karl. She grabbed her Brazilian passport and fled back to Brazil. The country she was born in and had ALL her family!
The Americans told the Brazilian Supreme Court: "She renounced her Brazilian citizenship upon accepting the American one and she was NO longer a Brazilian citizen."
The Brazilian supreme court agreed with the Americans & approved her extradition to the US.

Here you can read the Brazilian official verdict: 1ª Turma do STF mantém extradição de mulher que renunciou à nacionalidade brasileira

Claudia Hoerig is now serving a life sentence in the US: The Hoerig Trial: Claudia Hoerig sentenced to life victim family reacts

Brazil allows and recognizes multiple citizenships (and the Kangaroo Court claimed it's valid as long as they are through ancestry )

My personal take: If you commit ANY crime and are afraid of being extradited, go to Russia! Case closed!

Hi, sorry for commenting on an older thread, I'm new here.

I would just like to give more context and complement what you said.

The case you mention was an absolute exception, mather of fact, the first one of it's kind. She was extradicted because, at the time she aquired the American citizenship, the Brazilain law statet that in case of aquiring another citizenship through naturalization the Brazilian citizenship would be lost. So the understanding of the Courts was that she was no longer Brazilian.

Since that case the law has changed, and Brazilians do not lose their citizenshio any more when aquiring another one: Brasileiros conquistam direito a nova cidadania sem perder a antiga

What could in fact still happen to a Brazilian citizen who doesn't want to be extradicted, but is also rare at the moment, is the Brazilians courts recognizing the foreign sentence and mandating it to be carried out in Brazil. See the case of the famous football player Robinho. Also, Brazilians who ran back to their country are not safe from an investigation of the crime comitted abroad taking place in Brazil and than being convicted in Brazil on basis of the Brazilian investigation. In both cases, the crime commited abroad would have to be a crime in Brazil as well.

As a trivia, there's the famous case of the Brit Ronnie Biggs, who fled to Brazil after robbing a train in the UK and stayed there free for decades.

 

[jafo]

Hi, sorry for commenting on an older thread, I'm new here.

I would just like to give more context and complement what you said.

The case you mention was an absolute exception, mather of fact, the first one of it's kind. She was extradicted because, at the time she aquired the American citizenship, the Brazilain law statet that in case of aquiring another citizenship through naturalization the Brazilian citizenship would be lost. So the understanding of the Courts was that she was no longer Brazilian.

Since that case the law has changed, and Brazilians do not lose their citizenshio any more when aquiring another one: Brasileiros conquistam direito a nova cidadania sem perder a antiga

What could in fact still happen to a Brazilian citizen who doesn't want to be extradicted, but is also rare at the moment, is the Brazilians courts recognizing the foreign sentence and mandating it to be carried out in Brazil. See the case of the famous football player Robinho. Also, Brazilians who ran back to their country are not safe from an investigation of the crime comitted abroad taking place in Brazil and than being convicted in Brazil on basis of the Brazilian investigation. In both cases, the crime commited abroad would have to be a crime in Brazil as well.

As a trivia, there's the famous case of the Brit Ronnie Biggs, who fled to Brazil after robbing a train in the UK and stayed there free for decades.

It's ALWAYS an exception!

Like this one:

"Exceção à regra​

Isso facilita a vida dos brasileiros, que continuarão sendo brasileiros a menos que peçam para que seja retirada a nacionalidade. Isso às vezes acontece porque o país no qual a pessoa escolheu viver exige a comprovação da perda da nacionalidade originária que o cidadão tinha antes do processo de naturalização no novo destino."

Most Brazilians will give up their original citizenship due to spousal duress and financial dependence, as Claudia did.

Scribbles on paper are one thing...reality hits much harder than reading and interpreting words.

 

[EliasIT]

dealing with other problems: Extremely high costs of living, swiss arrogance lol, banks that will rat you out at the first sign of a law enforcement request/subpoena unless you're worth billions of dollars which will make your legal problems even worse down the road.

Sometimes when I read people's comments and remarks, I think they watch too much TV or read too many internet news articles published by perhaps bad media or even idiotic influencers!

I have been living in Switzerland for a few years now... I'm not part of the upper class, let's put it that way. My daily life here in Switzerland is fantastic. People are friendly, they mind their own business, and the authorities have only limited access to information. Switzerland also asks for only limited personal information when you arrive here. Overall, you can definitely feel the difference in this country. There are still a lot of "secrets" and a "mind your own business" mentality compared to Germany or other European countries.

I haven't had any issues with the authorities in other countries, but as I've mentioned before, experience Switzerland yourself if you're considering moving somewhere with fairly lenient tax rules and authorities that are easy to work with.