Switzerland: Five days suspended prison sentence for a water pistol
Express newspaper
08/02/2026 17:46
In Switzerland, even pink water pistols can be considered weapons. An online order had unexpected consequences for a woman from Ticino, who received a five-day suspended prison sentence for importing weapons.
Mia wanted to dress up as a police officer for the upcoming carnival and ordered a pink water pistol from the online retailer Shein for 2.78 Swiss francs. But the gun never arrived.
Months later, two real police officers knocked on her door. The reason: Swiss customs had confiscated the water pistol because it was considered a violation of weapons law. Mia was charged with importing weapons and given a five-day suspended sentence. She didn’t understand a thing: “We brought the justice system to a water pistol. Where is the common sense?”
In Switzerland, even a toy that deceptively resembles a real gun is classified as a weapon. Its importation or public use constitutes a criminal offense.
Police operations related to toy weapons
The severity of the law is justified by recent incidents. In May 2025, a 15-year-old from the canton of Zurich launched a major police operation with a water pistol that looked like a real gun.
In June 2024, a school evacuation took place in Bellinzona after a 15-year-old student threatened a teacher with a replica pistol.
Gunsmith Marco Bordatzi confirms to German public broadcaster SRF that real 9mm pistols, similar to the water pistol ordered by Mia, are available on the market, both in color and shape. Even the “1911” marking on the toy is reminiscent of that of a real Colt model: “The law is restrictive, but admissible, to avoid any confusion,” explains the gunsmith.
A new labeling requirement
Mia’s case is not isolated. Other people find themselves, despite their wishes, caught in the cracks of the judicial network. The Councilor for the States of Valais, Beat Rieder, denounced the overload of police and prosecutors’ work due to these “small cases” and demanded, through a motion, a change of course, writes RTS. This motion was approved, transmits albinfo.ch.
Today, the prosecutor’s office conducts up to 2000 investigations per year against citizens for violations of the gun law, as the elected official of the Center pointed out. The Federal Council was tasked with reviewing this law. Large online platforms will be forced to label artificial weapons as prohibited in Switzerland. Failure to comply with this obligation will expose them to criminal prosecution.
Anyone importing such a product in the future will have to get away with a simple fine to avoid costly criminal prosecution. Mia’s suspended prison sentence was changed to a suspended fine of 150 Swiss francs after a lawyer intervened. She will not be a police officer at the next carnival.