Could George W. Bush face arrest in Switzerland?
The former president canceled a trip to Geneva amid threats by human rights groups that they'd pursue legal charges against him for sanctioning torture
![Groups protesting former President Bush's visit were threatening to throw shoes at him, a reference to a notorious 2008 incident.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ygV4zaUfEPQFFvHnLtssNB-415-80.jpg)
Former President George W. Bush was forced to forgo a planned trip to Switzerland this week as human rights activists exerted growing pressure on the Swiss government to arrest him for allegedly sanctioning "the torture of terrorism suspects" held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Left-wing protesters even threatened to file a criminal complaint against the former president. Here, a brief guide to the controversy:
Why was Bush heading to Switzerland?
Bush was slated to be the keynote speaker at a February 12 Jewish charity gala in honor of the Switzerland-based United Israel Appeal.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What were the activists planning to do?
Groups including Amnesty International, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the International Federation of Human Rights said they would file a 2,500-page complaint against the president under the international Convention Against Torture. Two men supposedly inspired the complaint: Majid Khan, who is reportedly still at Guantanamo, and Sami al-Hajj, a former Al Jazeera cameraman, who was released in May 2008. Organizers were also planning protests outside the hotel where Bush was going to speak, and were urging demonstrators to bring shoes to the rally, a gesture intended to evoke the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoe at Bush in 2008.
Could Bush really have been arrested?
It's unlikely. An "initial assessment" by the Swiss Justice Ministry determined that the former president would have immunity from prosecution for his actions while in office, a ministry spokesman told The Associated Press. The activist groups disputed that. But even if Bush could have been brought up on charges, prosecutors would likely have run out of time to investigate them and take action before he left the country.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
So why was his appearance canceled?
Representatives of the charity say security fears, not legal threats, led them to cancel Bush's appearance. "We regret that the speech has been canceled," a Bush spokesman told The Associated Press. He said the president "was looking forward to speaking about freedom and offering reflections from his time in office." But the groups seeking Bush's arrest question these official statements: "Whatever Bush or his hosts say, we have no doubt he canceled his trip to avoid our case."
Sources: Associated Press, CBS News, Washington Post, Reuters
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Magazine solutions - August 2, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 2, 2024
By The Week Staff Published
-
Magazine printables - August 2, 2024
Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - August 2, 2024
By The Week Staff Published
-
'In a normal country, their activities wouldn't even be crimes'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Biden, Trump urge calm after assassination attempt
Speed Reads A 20-year-old gunman grazed Trump's ear and fatally shot a rally attendee on Saturday
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court rejects challenge to CFPB
Speed Read The court rejected a conservative-backed challenge to the way the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is funded
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Arizona court reinstates 1864 abortion ban
Speed Read The law makes all abortions illegal in the state except to save the mother's life
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, billions richer, is selling Bibles
Speed Read The former president is hawking a $60 "God Bless the USA Bible"
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The debate about Biden's age and mental fitness
In Depth Some critics argue Biden is too old to run again. Does the argument have merit?
By Grayson Quay Published
-
How would a second Trump presidency affect Britain?
Today's Big Question Re-election of Republican frontrunner could threaten UK security, warns former head of secret service
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Rwanda plan is less a deterrent and more a bluff'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published