A new legal battle could shake the foundations of Europe’s banking system. In an exclusive interview with the Abu Dhabi Times, international attorney Dr. Gerhard Podovsovnik accused Switzerland of holding on to Nazi-era assets and building postwar wealth on money stolen from Jewish victims.
“The truth is what’s drastic,” Dr. Podovsovnik said. “For eighty years, Switzerland has buried it. The Bergier Report showed that Swiss banks traded in Nazi gold and looted property while turning away Jewish refugees who were being sent to their deaths. That isn’t neutrality — it’s complicity.”
The comments are part of a broader push by Podovsovnik’s law firm, AEA Justinian Lawyers, to force full disclosure of pre-1948 accounts held by Swiss financial institutions, including UBS. The firm argues that thousands of accounts remain hidden — and that previous settlements were incomplete at best, deceptive at worst.
A Fight for Truth, Not Politics
Podovsovnik’s team has filed a formal demand with the Swiss Federal Council and Federal Councillor Suter, calling for legislation that would compel all Swiss banks to open their archives and cooperate in a global audit. “The Global Settlement of 1998–2000 wasn’t justice,” he said. “It was damage control.”
If Switzerland refuses, Podovsovnik plans to take the case to U.S. federal courts, where he’ll seek to reopen the settlement on grounds of fraud. His team will request disclosure orders, international asset tracing, and potential freezes on funds linked to wartime profits.
“Switzerland has gotten away with hiding behind banking secrecy for too long,” he told the Abu Dhabi Times. “If it won’t cooperate voluntarily, it will be compelled by law.”
This legal challenge, he insists, isn’t about politics or ideology — it’s about accountability. “We’re talking about moral integrity,” Podovsovnik said. “If a government knowingly shelters stolen property, it must face the consequences. Justice delayed is still justice waiting to be done.”
The Case of Rabbi Meir
Podovsovnik represents Rabbi Ephraim Meir, who claims inheritance rights to dormant Nazi-era accounts held within UBS. “Rabbi Meir’s case stands for thousands of Jewish families who were robbed of everything — their wealth, their homes, and their dignity,” he said. “For them, this isn’t about punishment; it’s about closure.”
He added that continued silence from Swiss institutions sends a dangerous message about moral responsibility in the modern world. “Antisemitism doesn’t just exist in hate speech — it exists in the quiet refusal to return what was stolen,” he said.
The Abu Dhabi Times article, titled “Switzerland Must Finally Face Its Moral Bankruptcy”, has attracted global attention. But for many observers, this isn’t just about the past — it’s a test of whether Western nations still value truth over profit.
Switzerland’s famed neutrality has long been respected, but Podovsovnik’s claims have exposed the darker side of that reputation. For decades, secrecy has been treated as strength. Now, under the pressure of international law, it may become Switzerland’s biggest liability.
As Podovsovnik put it: “The era of moral evasion is over. The time for truth — no matter how uncomfortable — has come.”
