2004 In Review Part One

Crime, usually a rarity in Liechtenstein, also increased. In February, the carnival celebrations in Schaan were disrupted by a brawl between rival groups of skinheads. Twenty "Oi!-Skins" from Zurich fought with thirty right-wing skinheads from Liechtenstein. A Liechtenstein skinhead was smashed on the head with a bottle and was treated in the hospital. Several policemen who tried to intervene were attacked. The brawl was finally stopped when thirty-two Liechtenstein police officers in full riot gear waded in the fight. Fears of racism and intolerance were voiced as the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance warned against a widespread xenophobic attitude among citizens. After a number of incidents involving right wing extremists in 1999, the Liechtenstein parliament outlawed xenophobia and public incitement to hatred or discrimination against individuals based on their race or religion.

Crime is rare in the Principality but 2004 saw an increase. On March 11, an apparently mentally ill man shot dead his older brother in Eschen. In early August ten kilograms of heroin were in a car trying to cross the border at Schaanwald thanks to an alert customs officer who noticed how nervous the driver was. The drugs had an estimated street value over 1 million Swiss Francs. In late September a German businessman and his wife were tried in the Criminal Court in Vaduz for cheated three hundred small investors of 13 million Swiss Francs. The man was found guilty and sentenced to four years in prison. His wife was acquitted. On Sunday, 31 October, at 10.15 p.m., three bombs exploded in front of a house in Triesen causing several thousand francs damage but no injuries. The suspects were thought to be underage and had targeted the home of a foreign family.

References:

http://www.news.li/

Rebranded Liechtenstein Welcomes Fresh Prince By Tom Armitage Reuters, Vaduz, Liechtenstein (Reuters) August 15 2004,

Tally of Foreigners Killed in Tsunami Associated Press Fri Jan 7, 2005

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