The numerous institutions of the UN and other international organizations attract a large number of diplomats – and under the guise of diplomatic passports, also secret service employees.
(Photo: Moment Open/Getty Images)
Zurich, Geneva The Belle Époque facades of the five-star hotels, the lake and the Alps visible in the distance make Geneva a suitable filming location for a James Bond-style spy thriller. Even more than in the film, the second largest city in Switzerland is the scene of real intelligence activities.
The numerous institutions of the UN and other international organizations attract a large number of diplomats – and under the guise of diplomatic passports also secret service employees. Russian spies, in particular, can operate more undisturbed in Geneva than in a few other places on the European continent.
The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (NDB) recently warned of this. The intelligence service’s current situation report says: “International Geneva remains a focus of espionage.” Various European countries have recently expelled Russian intelligence officers. Shortly after the outbreak of war in April 2022, Germany had already expelled 20 Russian diplomats whom the Foreign Office had suspected of intelligence activities.
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