Roger Köppel

Weltwoche content published under Köppel repeated Russian claims questioning established responsibility for the Bucha massacre. German media accused him of disseminating Russian state propaganda.

State of the evidence

Published content and media analysis documented

Legal status — source text

No personal judicial proceedings identified

Attribution

Editorial and direct responsibility

Holding a seat on the National Council while running Weltwoche prompted recurring criticism over the blurring of boundaries between reporting, campaigning and political interests.

State of the evidence

Public dual role and ethical debate documented

Legal status — source text

Press Council: sufficient transparency in the case examined in 2023

Attribution

Directly implicated

Köppel missed a substantially higher proportion of National Council votes than average, becoming one of its most frequently absent members. Criticism focused on the incomplete fulfilment of a remunerated mandate.

State of the evidence

Parliamentary voting statistics analysed

Legal status — source text

No judicial proceedings

Attribution

Directly implicated

In Moscow, Köppel met propagandist Vladimir Solovyov and commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, who is subject to an ICC arrest warrant. Russian propaganda exploited the visit, which was strongly criticised in Switzerland.

State of the evidence

Trip, photographs and public interviews documented

Legal status — source text

No personal judicial proceedings identified

Attribution

Directly implicated

The Press Council criticised Weltwoche Daily for failing to distinguish clearly between an advertising segment and editorial content, breaching the principle of separation between advertising and journalism.

State of the evidence

Statement by the Swiss Press Council

Legal status — source text

Journalistic ethics sanction, not criminal proceedings

Attribution

Editorial responsibility as head of the media outlet

Around the 2022 invasion, Köppel portrayed Putin as widely misunderstood and repeated analytical frameworks close to the Kremlin's narrative. He was accused of normalising Russian aggression.

State of the evidence

Editorials and public appearances documented

Legal status — source text

No judicial proceedings

Attribution

Direct responsibility as author and publisher

Köppel repeated information from a confidential document of the Foreign Affairs Committee in his podcast. Prosecutors sought to have his immunity lifted; following conflicting decisions, it was ultimately maintained.

State of the evidence

Official suspicion and parliamentary examination

Legal status — source text

Immunity ultimately maintained; no criminal trial on the merits

A cover about Roma crime featuring an armed child prompted complaints in Switzerland and Austria. The criminal proceedings were closed, but the Press Council found the presentation discriminatory.

State of the evidence

Publication and ethical decisions documented

Legal status — source text

Criminal proceedings closed; reprimand by the Swiss Press Council

Attribution

Editorial responsibility as editor-in-chief and publisher

In its coverage of the Hildebrand affair and Bank Sarasin, Weltwoche was criticised for its use of anonymous sources, insufficient opportunities to respond, montages and failures concerning accuracy or corrections.

State of the evidence

Decision by the Swiss Press Council

Legal status — source text

Journalistic ethics review, not a personal criminal conviction

Attribution

Direct editorial responsibility

Remarks by Köppel about Islam and Muslims led the Young Socialists to file a complaint under anti-racism legislation. Prosecutors closed the case.

State of the evidence

Published remarks and proceedings documented

Legal status — source text

Case closed in 2011

Attribution

Direct responsibility as author and publisher