Swiss lawmakers are moving towards doubling the time police can hold suspects before releasing them or handing them to prosecutors, from 24 to 48 hours. This week the National Council backed the idea in principle, following a proposal from the Council of States, one year after a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Bern turned violent. The proposal would change one of the basic time limits that govern how long people can be held before a prosecutor takes over.
The unrest on 11 October 2025 was unusually severe by Swiss standards. Around 5,000 people took part in the unauthorised march. Eighteen police officers were injured, four of whom needed to be examined in hospital, and damage to property ran into millions of francs. Police detained 536 people for questioning and identity checks. How the longer custody period would work in practice remains unclear, according to SRF.
Max Hofmann, secretary-general of the Association of Swiss Police Officers, supports the change. After violent protests with dozens of arrests, he said, 24 hours is not always long enough. An extra day would let officers investigate more thoroughly and pin down what role each suspect allegedly played, and a fuller case file could help prosecutors work faster later on. He also sees a possible deterrent: demonstrators who face questions from colleagues about an unexplained absence from work might think twice before turning to violence.
Under current rules, police must release a suspect or pass the case to prosecutors within 24 hours. Amnesty International disagrees with extending that limit. Its lawyer Alicia Giraudel fears suspects’ procedural rights could suffer, because a judge must still approve any continued detention within 96 hours, so a longer police phase would leave prosecutors and judges less time to do their part. She opposes the proposal on principle, arguing that the longer custody lasts, the more serious the interference with human rights. Custody, she said, exists to support investigations, not to punish or to discourage political participation, and suspects remain presumed innocent until convicted.
The Federal Council, Switzerland’s executive, has also pointed to practical difficulties. With both chambers of parliament now in favour of longer detention, the government must work out how the change would be implemented, and whether a 48-hour limit can be squared with suspects’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.
