(Reuters) The Swiss government on Tuesday defended a new anti-terrorism law that will be put to a nationwide referendum in June and that includes restrictive measures on child suspects.
Under Switzerland’s system of direct democracy, a committee collected signatures to force a referendum to overturn the law that was adopted by parliament in September.
The referendum will take place on June 13.
The new law allows the police to intervene with preventative measures if they have concrete and current indications of terrorist activity, the government said in a statement.
However, it contains some controversial points, such as preventive house detention for potential offenders from the age of 15 as well as electronic surveillance and restraining orders for people from the age of 12 who are considered a threat. It can also stop people leaving the country.
