Taiwan-Switzerland Cooperation Milestone First Transfer of a Sentenced Person Successfully Completed

The Ministry of Justice has successfully transferred a sentenced Swiss citizen, who was serving his sentence in Taiwan, to Switzerland on August 30, 2022. The person transferred has safely returned and will serve the remainder of his sentence in his home country. This is the first case since Taiwan and Switzerland singed the Agreement on the transfer of sentenced persons on December 11, 2019, marking a milestone in the cooperation between the two countries and illustrating the efforts Taiwan has dedicated to human rights protection.

The purpose of transferring sentenced persons is to help enable the foreigners who are serving their sentences in Taiwan to be rehabilitated and successfully reintegrate into society; furthermore, it makes it far easier for their families to visit. These are the reasons why the Ministry of Justice continues to promote the transfer of sentenced prisoners.

The Swiss citizen who was transferred was charged for violation of transporting first-degree narcotics and sentenced to 18 years imprisonment by the courts. He started serving his sentence in 2015. After the two countries concluded the Agreement, the Ministry of Justice held a meeting for deliberation on his application and agreed to the transfer. The Department of International and Cross-Strait Legal Affairs then combined the efforts of colleagues from the Taiwan Taoyuan District Prosecutors Office, the Taipei Prison, and the International Operations Division and Airport Field Office of Taoyuan City Division of the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau, and worked together with the Trade Office of Swiss Industries to facilitate the transfer. In time, the task was completed.

Minister Tsai greatly values international judicial cooperation. As of today, Taiwan has successfully transferred 7 German persons, 2 British, 1 Danish, 1 Polish, and 1 Swiss person back to Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, and Switzerland, and will continue dedicating itself to humanitarian work on the basis of the rule of law.