Proceeds of crimes

Swiss Confederation

Federal Law on Cooperation with the International Criminal Court 2001

CHAPTER IV: OTHER FORMS OF COOPERATION

SECTION I: CONDITIONS

Art. 30 Forms of cooperation

Cooperation according to this chapter may include any procedural acts not prohibited by Swiss law that facilitate the investigation and prosecution of crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court or that serve to produce the proceeds of such crimes, in particular:

a. the identification and determination of the whereabouts of persons not being prosecuted by the Court or the location of objects;
b. the taking of evidence, including testimony under oath, and the production of evidence,
including expert opinions and reports necessary to the Court;
c. the questioning of any person being investigated or prosecuted;
d. the service of documents, including judicial documents;
e. the temporary transfer of persons in detention as provided in article 39;
f. the examination of places or sites, including the exhumation and examination of grave sites;
g. the execution of searches and seizures;
h. the provision of records and documents, including official records and documents;
i. the protection of victims and witnesses and the preservation of evidence;
j. the identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture.

CHAPTER IV: OTHER FORMS OF COOPERATION

SECTION II: SPECIFIC FORMS OF COOPERATION

Art. 41 Handing over for forfeiture, transfer to the Trust Fund, or restitution

1 Objects or assets subject to a precautionary seizure may at any time, upon request, be transmitted to the Court for the purpose of forfeiture, transfer to the Trust Fund (art. 79 of the Statute), or restitution.

2 Objects and assets referred to in paragraph 1 include:
a. instruments which served to commit the crime;
b. the product or proceeds of a criminal act, their replacement value, and illicit advantages;
c. gifts and other contributions that served as or that were intended as an inducement or reward for the criminal act, as well as their replacement value.

3 Objects and assets shall remain seized until they have been transmitted to the Court or until the Court notifies the Central Authority that it waives transmission.

4 Objects and assets may be retained in Switzerland if:
a. the victim’s usual residence is in Switzerland and the objects and assets are to be returned to the victim;
b. authorities assert rights over them;
c. a person not involved in the criminal act claims that he or she acquired rights to the objects and assets in good faith in Switzerland or, provided that the person’s usual residence is in Switzerland, in a foreign country;
d. the objects or assets are required for criminal proceedings pending in Switzerland or they could be forfeited in Switzerland.

5 If a person asserts a claim provided for in paragraph 4, the handing over of the objects or assets to the Court is suspended until the legal situation is clarified. The contested objects or assets may only be handed over to the person if:
a. the Court consents;
b. the authorities consent in the case of paragraph 4 subparagraph b; or
c. Swiss authorities recognize the validity of the claim.

Rome Statute

Article 93 Other forms of cooperation

1. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and under procedures of national law, comply with requests by the Court to provide the following assistance in relation to investigations or prosecutions:

(k) The identification, tracing and freezing or seizure of proceeds, property and assets and instrumentalities of crimes for the purpose of eventual forfeiture, without prejudice to the rights of bona fide third parties; and