Subject: Intervention by the FDFA (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) on behalf of two Swiss nationals subject to sanctions on the EU sanctions list

Kyoto, 21 December 2025

Dear Federal Councillor Cassis,
Dear Federal Department of Foreign Affairs,

I take the liberty of sending you the following open letter on behalf of more than 300 Swiss citizens from the fields of diplomacy, academia, journalism, politics, and other concerned individuals.
  We urgently ask you to intervene in every appropriate manner on behalf of our fellow citizens Mr Jacques Baud and Ms Nathalie Yamb, and to protest in the strongest possible terms against their sanctioning by the European Union.
  The inclusion of the two individuals on an EU sanctions list is a politically motivated act of repression and is in no way compatible with the fundamental human right to freedom of expression, as provided for in Article 19¹ of the Charter of the United Nations.
  Although both individuals have the right to seek a review of the legality of these measures before the European Court of Justice, the sanctions have immediate and severe effects on their fundamental freedoms. This constitutes a case of administrative punishment without a court ruling.
  There is well-founded concern that further sanctions of this kind against unwelcome opinions held by Swiss citizens will follow. This act can only be challenged at the political level, and we ask you to do so. We need you and the strength of your Department of Foreign Affairs.
  With the highest respect,

Dr Pascal Lottaz
Associate Professor, University of Kyoto, Japan

¹ https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/2021/03/udhr.pdf

Source: https://pascallottaz.substack.com/p/letter-of-support-for-jacques-baud
Online publication of the letter (in German):
https://neutralitystudies.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Intervention-fur-Baud-Yamb-FINAL.pdf
The list of 300 co-signatories can also be found there.

(Translation Current Concerns)