No big pay day for Arab dictators

Published on 17/10/2012 00:00

Switzerland has blocked nearly one billion Swiss francs (£670 million) in stolen assets linked to dictators in four countries at the centre of the Arab Spring – Egypt, Libya, Syria and Tunisia.

Swiss authorities are co-operating with judicial authorities in Tunisia and Egypt to speed restitution of the funds, but it is expected to take years, said Valentin Zellweger, director of the Swiss international law department.