ICRC President calls on Switzerland to be straightforward

"I am stunned by what people can do to each other," says ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric to the SonntagsZeitung newspaper.

Keystone

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Mirjana Spoljaric, has called on Switzerland to show a straightforward commitment to international law. This is the most efficient way for the country to protect the safety of its own population, she said.

Keystone-SDA

29.03.2026, 01:37

It does not work to "muddle through" in today's world, said Spoljaric in an interview with the "SonntagsZeitung". The world is at a crossroads. Clarity is therefore needed.

The President of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also demanded this from Switzerland. "Switzerland is an open economy with a high level of rule of law and enjoys respect for this," she said. The Swiss national hopes that the country will continue to "stand up for international law in a straightforward manner".

Spoljaric called for heads of state and government to apply the principles they uphold in their own country to others. "Double standards and double standards harm our own security," she said. A breach of the law is a breach of the law, regardless of who commits it. "A human life is worth the same everywhere, a child must be protected everywhere," said the ICRC President. This basic principle, which is also enshrined in the Swiss constitution, must be put into practice.

Possible war crimes are being investigated

Shortly after the start of the Iran war on February 28, the ICRC called for compliance with the rules of war. When asked by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper whether war crimes were committed during the attack on Iran, Spoljaric replied diplomatically: "Whether a war crime was committed in a specific case will be clarified in confidential discussions with the parties - conducted by military experts and lawyers." The ICRC President would not comment on this publicly.

According to Spoljaric, the fact is that there are displacements and attacks on hospitals and schools. "It is clear that fundamental principles such as the protection of children, women and refugees are being disregarded in the current conflict in the Middle East," said the head of the ICRC. The Geneva-based organization is committed to providing humanitarian aid to protect human lives.

After four weeks of war, rocket attacks, destruction and great insecurity dominate everyday life in Iran, Lebanon, Israel and several Gulf states. This was reported by correspondents of the German news agency DPA on Saturday. The USA has recently signaled a chance of a deal with Iran. According to Spoljaric, peace is probably not imminent. "The current warfare is destroying the framework for negotiations," she told the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. Every additional day of war makes it more difficult to end the conflict.