The ethics committee of the Press Council has partially justified a complaint against the Weltwoche magazine for calling whistleblower Rudolf Elmer a thief and extortionist.

Elmer is a high profile leaker of information about Julius Bär, and has run afoul of banking secrecy laws because of it.

The Weltwoche described Elmer as a data thief who tried blackmailing Julius Bär.

The Press Council said the terms “thief” and “extortionist” were barely justifiable, but the magazine should have made clear criminal proceedings against Elmer were ongoing.

It said the magazine should have at least listened to Elmer’s views, as well.