AhlulBayt News Agency: Since the beginning of December, Swiss authorities have started sending invoices to about 20 Swiss citizens who participated in maritime flotillas heading to the Gaza Strip, demanding they pay the costs for assistance and repatriation, totaling around €30,000, according to a report by Le Point magazine.
The Swiss government is demanding participants pay amounts ranging from €350 to €1,150 for what it considers "consular services" provided after they were detained by Israeli authorities and subsequently deported. The government bases its demand on a governmental fee schedule that states individuals who expose themselves to risks in crisis zones must cover a portion of the evacuation and assistance costs.
However, the participants strongly reject these invoices, asserting they received no actual protection and that what they received amounted to no more than a "very brief" consular visit. Some activists, such as Sébastien Dubuisson, accused Swiss diplomacy of negligence and lack of humanity, arguing that the government is asking them to pay for a service they were not provided. The "Freedom Waves" association described the government's decision as "dishonorable," while several participants, including former leftist politician Rémy Pagani, announced their intention to appeal the decision within the 30-day deadline.
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