Capital punishment in Switzerland

Capital punishment is forbidden in Switzerland under article 10, paragraph 1 of the Swiss Federal Constitution.

In the Middle Ages and Early Modern period, the most common method of execution, at least for males, was decapitation with a sword.

Geneviève Guénat, the last woman to be executed, was beheaded by this method in Delsberg, Bern on 7 September 1862, Héli Freymond in Vaud on 11 January 1868.

During World War II, 33 people were sentenced to death for spying for Nazi Germany, 15 of them in absentia.

[3] This law was abolished by the Federal Assembly on 20 March 1992 after a parliamentary initiative by Massimo Pini of the Free Democratic Party of Switzerland.

In 1979, National Council member Valentin Oehen from Swiss Democrats, DS) submitted a parliamentary initiative that would have introduced the death penalty for murder and terrorism involving hostage-taking .