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Swiss participants in the flotilla that tried to break through the Israeli maritime blockade on Gaza have faced "cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment" in Israeli detention, their organisation said Tuesday.The Waves of Freedom Switzerland organisation said Israel had conducted "illegal and shameful attacks on the humanitarian and peaceful flotillas", followed by "equally illegal arrests and detentions"."It subjected our citizens to cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment, as defined in the International Convention against Torture, both physically and psychologically," said the group, which goes by the acronym WOFA.Nineteen Swiss nationals took part in the Global Sumud Flotilla, which aimed to break an Israeli blockade to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip, where the United Nations says famine has taken hold after two years of devastating conflict.Israel started intercepting the flotilla vessels in international waters on October 1. Israeli police said more than 470 people aboard the boats were arrested.While nine Swiss nationals have been released, 10 are still detained, WOFA said.They were expected to be released on Tuesday, it said, adding: "We remain cautious in the face of a state that has long since abandoned any respect for the rule of law."WOFA said those released had described "sleep deprivation, lack of access to water and food, lack of medical care, and verbal and psychological abuse".Some, it said, "were kept handcuffed for long hours without any justification", while others "were slapped, beaten, and locked in a cage".In addition, "all medical treatments have been denied, including essential medicines like insulin for diabetes," it charged.The accusations echoed those of flotilla participants from other countries."The first 48 hours there was no food, no water at all," German flotilla member Yasemin Acar said upon her arrival in Greece on Monday."We were beaten. We were threatened... We were kept under the sun, our hands were cuffed to the back," she said.WOFA said it was "documenting the serious abuses suffered by our compatriots, as well as those they have witnessed"."These facts will be forwarded to the competent judicial authorities with a view to initiating legal proceedings."

The third session of the Joint Economic and Financial Committee between the Ministry of Finance of the State of Qatar and the Federal Department of Finance of the Swiss Confederation was held Wednesday in the city of Bern, Switzerland.The Qatari side was headed by HE the Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, while the Swiss side was chaired by President of the Swiss Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter.The meeting was also attended by a number of senior officials from both governmental and private sector entities on both sides.During this session, the Qatar-Switzerland Joint Committee discussed a range of proposals and ideas aimed at enhancing economic and investment co-operation between the two countries.Discussions covered topics such as digital finance, sustainable finance, and avenues of co-operation in the infrastructure sector, in addition to collaboration in sustainable investments and joint efforts in development projects.In his closing remarks at the conclusion of the third session of the Committee, HE al-Kuwari emphasised the importance of this partnership between the two countries, stating: "Qatar and Switzerland share many common values; both countries have open economies and are strongly committed to constructive international engagement. I am confident that the continued meetings of our Joint Committee will further strengthen our bilateral friendship and economic co-operation."Prior to the joint Committee's session, a technical committee meeting was held, chaired on the Qatari side by Deputy Undersecretary for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Finance Dr Saud bin Abdullah al-Attiyah, and on the Swiss side by Head of the Planning and Strategy Department at the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters (SIF) Christoph Konig and Head of Bilateral Economic Relations at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) Andrea Rauber Saxer.The technical meeting served to prepare for the Committee's work and discuss key areas of co-operation, contributing to the success of the current session.Holding the Qatar-Switzerland Committee follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding in March 2022 between the State of Qatar, represented by the Ministry of Finance, and the Swiss Federal Council, represented by the Federal Department of Finance.The MoU aims at establishing the Joint Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs to promote and strengthen bilateral relations. The meetings of the Joint Committee are held alternately in both countries.