Hervé Falciani will not be extradited

On May 8, the National Court of Spain rejected a request submitted by Bern to extradite Hervé Falciani with what amounts to a “very harsh ruling for Switzerland and the bank HSBC," notes El Mundo. The court took the view that none of the charges faced by Falciani, and in particular the theft of banking secrets and economic espionage, “were considered offences in Spain". The daily remarks that —

… the man who informed on tax evaders can continue touring countries concerned by the intricacies of the enormous quantities of data he amassed over several years he spent working as computer technician for HSBC in Geneva.

With regard to his next port of call, El Mundo points out that —

Falciani is now free to travel to the United States, which is ready to welcome him with open arms.

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“Spain has proudly given the finger to Switzerland,” writes Libération, in a report that remarks on the poisonous impact that Falciani’s delivery of 130,000 HSBC records to French authorities has had on Franco-Swiss diplomatic relations.

Also in France, news website Mediapart notes that Falciani’s lawyer “is counting on the Spanish decision to encourage the European Union to assume its responsibilities”. Lawyer William Bourdon believes —

… it is a decision that looks to the future, which should pave the way for a common European legislation: that is to say a law which encourages and protects those who serve the general interest by disclosing secrets, and thereby reduce the capacity of banks to act as accomplices to tax evasion and havens for dirty money.