Swiss extend freeze of Ben Ali, Mubarak, Yanukovych assets

BERLIN (AP) - Switzerland has decided to keep assets of the former presidents of Tunisia, Egypt and Ukraine and their associates frozen for another year, a move meant to support investigators' efforts.

Assets belonging to and related to ousted presidents Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt have been frozen in Switzerland since early 2011. The Swiss government says some 60 million francs ($59.4 million) and 570 million francs ($564.5 million) respectively were involved in those cases.

The current freeze was set to expire in January. Switzerland's government said Friday the extension "is expected to yield tangible progress ... and make it clearer whether the assets in question are likely to be returned."

Some 70 million francs ($69.3 million) related to Ukraine's Viktor Yanukovych were frozen in 2014.