FACT CHECK: Did Authorities In Switzerland Arrest Klaus Schwab?
An image shared on Facebook 200 times claims Swiss police arrested World Economic Forum executive chairman Klaus Schwab on Nov. 13.
Verdict: False
Schwab has not been arrested by Swiss police. The inaccurate rumor probably originated from a website that has published misinformation in the past.
Fact Check:
The viral image shows a screen grab of a Nov. 13 article on the website Fast News Hub. The article alleges Schwab was arrested that day at his home in Switzerland because he “used loopholes and committed crimes with Elite members” during the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) filed a complaint against him, the article also claims.
In reality, there is no evidence Schwab has been arrested. None of the press releases issued by the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police have mentioned charging or arresting him, nor has Europol announced it lodged a complaint against him. The arrest of its founder and executive chairman would likely warrant a statement from the World Economic Forum.
Swiss media outlets such Blick, 20 Minuten and Tages-Anzeiger have also not reported Schwab was arrested by Swiss authorities. (RELATED: No, This Video Does Not Show Swiss Protestors At ‘Rothschild’s Castle’)
Europol press officer Claire Georges told Check Your Fact via email that the claim about the agency issuing a complaint against Schwab was “fake news which has been circulating around these past few weeks.” Likewise, Mélanie Lourenço, a Federal Office of Police spokesperson, said in an email to Check Your Fact, “We can confirm that Klaus Schwab was not arrested by the Swiss police.”
The inaccurate rumor of Schwab’s arrest may stem from an article published by the Conservative Beaver on Nov. 12. Check Your Fact has previously debunked false claims stemming from that website, like former President Barack Obama being arrested for espionage and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla being arrested for fraud.