Accreditation
Journalists who regularly report on the business of the Federal Criminal Court may submit a written request for accreditation to the General Secretariat.
Accreditation may be granted for all Federal Criminal Court proceedings (permanent accreditation, valid for four years or, if granted during the four-year period, until the end of that period) or may be limited to one particular proceeding.
To be eligible for accreditation, please submit a written application to the Press Office at presse@bstger.ch and indicate the type of accreditation desired (permanent accreditation or single proceeding).
The request must be accompanied by a resume including a photo, date of birth and first and last name (as stated in the identification document), a statement from the employer or a description of the activity carried out as a freelancer, and, if applicable, a copy of the press card; the application must include the e-mail address to which communications will be sent. Any changes must be reported to the Court (presse@bstger.ch).
Accredited journalists benefit from a range of services including:
- Upon request, they receive a copy of the indictment; this is generally sent 14 days before the start of the hearings. The indictments are for personal use only; therefore, it is forbidden to pass them on or communicate their contents to other journalists or third parties.
- Access to the press room of the Court.
- They receive verdicts, in non-anonymized form, of judgments rendered orally in the courtroom.
The processes for requesting and granting accreditation are set out in Article 11 et seq. of the Federal Criminal Court Principles of Information Regulation.