Swiss prosecutor investigates MP for AI-generated deepfake video
A Swiss prosecutor has opened an investigation into SVP National Councillor Andreas Glarner for publishing an AI-generated deepfake video of Green politician Sibel Arslan during the 2023 election campaign. The prosecutor seeks to lift Glarner's parliamentary immunity to enable criminal prosecution on charges of identity misuse and possible defamation.
What happened
During the 2023 election campaign, Swiss SVP National Councillor Andreas Glarner shared an AI-generated video on X and Instagram. The video depicted Green Party National Councillor Sibel Arslan apparently endorsing the SVP and its deportation policies, with a small label indicating it was created with artificial intelligence.
Arslan reported Glarner to the police, accusing him of identity misuse. The Canton Aargau public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft Muri-Bremgarten) submitted a request on 21 February 2025 to the immunity commission of the National Council to lift Glarner's parliamentary immunity so that a criminal investigation can proceed.
Reported impact
The deepfake video was used in political campaigning to misrepresent Arslan's positions. A civil court in Basel previously found that the video violated Arslan's personality rights and sentenced Glarner to a fine in November 2023.
Index analysis
The prosecutor identified potential charges of identity misuse—a criminal offense added to the Swiss Criminal Code in September 2023—as well as possible defamation offences related to the publication of the deepfake video.
Governance controls
Switzerland requires parliamentary immunity to be lifted before criminal investigations can proceed against sitting MPs. The immunity commission must approve the prosecutor's request before prosecution can begin.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.