News On Jihadism In Switzerland - Monitoring Jihadism Project

Open-source news on jihadism in Switzerland

This section contains news from open sources on persons involved in jihadist activities or criminal activities satellite to jihadism in Switzerland.

31 August 2026
Zurich Cantonal Parliament voted in favor of a motion to ban headscarves in public schools and kindergartens
The Zurich Cantonal Parliament has voted in favor of a motion by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP) to ban headscarves in public schools and kindergartens. The motion passed narrowly, with 87 votes in favor, 82 against, and 6 abstentions.

The proposed ban would apply to girls, women, and female teachers, prohibiting them from wearing religious head coverings in all public educational institutions in the canton.

The cantonal government must now draft a legal basis for the ban and has two years to present a report and proposal to the parliament.

Source: https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/motion-der-svp-zuercher-kantonsrat-will-kopftuecher-in-schulen-verbieten
25 August 2026
Swiss authorities confirmed the withdrawal of Swiss citizenship from a man who had declared allegiance to the Islamic State
Swiss authorities have confirmed the withdrawal of Swiss citizenship from a man living in the canton of Vaud who had declared allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS), an extremist organization responsible for severe violence and human rights abuses. The Federal Administrative Court upheld the decision after determining that his actions had gravely harmed Switzerland’s interests and reputation.

The man, originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina and naturalized Swiss in 2000, had been sentenced in France to 15 years in prison for planning terrorist attacks. French authorities considered him one of the most influential members of a jihadist cell, which he coordinated from Switzerland, communicating with six accomplices in France. He spread ISIS propaganda, discussed departures to Syria, and helped plan attacks, including identifying targets and operational methods while presenting himself as the group’s “emir” through encrypted messaging.

In 2021, the Swiss migration authorities (SEM) revoked his citizenship due to the seriousness of his terrorist activities. The man later renounced his Bosnian nationality, seemingly to avoid losing his Swiss passport, but the SEM concluded that this step was taken only to obstruct the revocation procedure.

The court ruled that because he voluntarily renounced his other nationality, becoming stateless would be a consequence of his own actions, and therefore does not prevent Switzerland from withdrawing his citizenship. The decision is not yet final and may still be appealed to the Federal Supreme Court.

Source: https://www.rts.ch/info/regions/vaud/2026/article/djihadiste-vaudois-le-taf-confirme-le-retrait-du-passeport-29337459.html
18 August 2026
Swiss link emerges in global scheme diverting ‘humanitarian’ donations to ISIS
U.S. federal investigators have uncovered a global fundraising network that diverts supposedly humanitarian donations to ISIS. According to an FBI document, part of the money collected through online appeals for “help” to needy Muslims and sick children is actually being funneled to ISIS supporters.

The network involves international actors, including a Swiss‑Turkish dual citizen from Aargau, who appeared before the Swiss Federal Criminal Court for allegedly preparing a knife attack in the name of ISIS. He had transferred several hundred francs, claiming they were humanitarian donations, but prosecutors argued they constituted terrorist financing. Although he was partially acquitted on that charge, the FBI believes his payments were part of a broader ISIS funding structure.

The suspect sent 569.01 USD to a 24‑year‑old man in Canada, identified by the FBI as a “person of interest,” who had received multiple PayPal transfers from ISIS supporters, including individuals later arrested for planning attacks. His contact details were shared on social media posts calling for humanitarian donations, which were circulated among ISIS sympathizers.

One donor to the Canadian collector was the perpetrator of the 2025 Berlin Christopher Street Day attack, who killed one person and injured 31 others; he had sent 30 USD months before the attack. Although Swiss prosecutors found no direct link between the Aargau suspect and the Berlin attacker, they stated that the payments show how deeply both were embedded in ISIS‑supporting circles.

The FBI has urged Swiss authorities to examine the case thoroughly to protect public safety, and further proceedings in Switzerland remain possible.

Source: https://www.srf.ch/news/international/terrorismus-finanzierung-terror-statt-hilfe-spenden-landen-offenbar-beim-is
08 August 2026
19-year-old Swiss-Turkish dual citizen convicted of supporting a terrorist organization, preparatory acts for murder and depictions of violence
The Federal Criminal Court has convicted a 19-year-old of supporting a terrorist organization, preparatory acts for murder and depictions of violence. He receives a prison sentence of two years and six months, six of which are unconditional.

The court in Bellinzona considered it proven that the 19-year-old Swiss-Turkish dual citizen was planning a knife attack on arbitrarily selected victims.

He had obtained relevant instructions for this, networked specifically with like-minded people and ordered a knife suitable for the crime on the Internet, according to the press release.

He had wanted to carry out the attack in the name of the so-called “Islamic State” IS. He also supported IS, including with money.

He started the radicalisation process as a minor, in a phase of personal problems – his family relationships shattered, school dropout, socially isolated. During this time, he first became interested in Islam and soon ended up in Islamist propaganda. Most recently, he talked directly to other IS supporters via encrypted chats. There he found support and recognition.

Source: https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/bellinzona-is-terrorunterstuetzung-bundestrafgericht-verurteilt-19-jaehrigen
07 July 2026
A minor, supporter of IS, convicted to one-year prison sentence for carrying out an antisemitic stabbing attack
The judge in Dielsdorf sentenced the radicalized minor to 1 year in prison, suspended in favor of placement in a closed institution.

He carried out an antisemitic stabbing attack against an ultra-Orthodox Jewish man in the city on March 2, 2024. Prosecutors charged him with multiple counts of attempted murder and planning a massacre at a synagogue, but due to his age at the time of the attack, 15, the maximum sentence the court can impose is one year in prison.

During the hearing, the judge sought to understand how the defendant became a supporter of Islamic State, how he planned the attack and what his attitude toward the victim is today. The defendant refused to answer any of the questions.

Due to his silence, the court relied on statements he made during the investigation. According to those statements, his goal was to be killed by police after the attack in order to die as a “martyr” and reach paradise.

According to the indictment, after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, the teenager rapidly became radicalized. In January 2024, he began searching online for Islamic State materials, bomb-making manuals and terror tactics. He also communicated with another individual who held similar views about how to make explosives. After deciding that building a bomb was too difficult, he allegedly opted for a stabbing attack.

Sources: https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/h1da00tvmze and https://www.letemps.ch/suisse/attaque-antisemite-a-zurich-un-adolescent-reconnu-coupable-de-tentative-d-assassinat
28 May 2026
31-year-old Nesip Dedeler arrested after injuring three men in Winterthur
A 31-year-old man was arrested after injuring three men, aged 28, 43, and 52, at around 08:30. All three victims were taken to hospital, one of them in serious condition.

Before fleeing the scene, the attacker reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” and stabbed three passers-by at Winterthur railway station. He was later arrested by police. The suspect has been identified as Nesip Dedeler, a 31-year-old Swiss-Turkish citizen.

In 2015, Dedeler was reported for violating the ban on the Islamic State (IS) and for spreading extremist propaganda. In 2018, his name resurfaced during an investigation into a youth group linked to the An’Nur Mosque, which was later shut down. He was reportedly part of a circle of individuals who were subsequently charged, with some later convicted. During that period, he is said to have repeatedly received jihadist nasheeds and Islamic State videos.

According to reports, the attacker’s two brothers had also repeatedly come to the attention of investigators in connection with radicalisation cases.

Dedeler was naturalised in Winterthur in 2009. In 2024, he applied to renew his Swiss passport but never appeared to complete the process. In August 2024, he left Switzerland and moved to Turkey, after which he reportedly disappeared from public view for nearly two years.

On 25 May, he contacted Winterthur City Police and made confused and incoherent statements. Police officers intervened and he was admitted to the Integrated Psychiatry Winterthur (IPW). He left the facility on 26 May, prompting a police search, before later returning to the IPW.

On 27 May, a doctor reportedly assessed him as not posing a danger to himself or others, which allowed him to leave the psychiatric institution voluntarily. The following day, on 28 May, he allegedly carried out the knife attack, injuring several people.

Sources: https://www.blick.ch/schweiz/zuerich/was-ist-ueber-den-taeter-bekannt-jetzt-informiert-die-polizei-ueber-die-horror-attacke-id21984610.html and https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/messerangriff-am-bahnhof-verdaechtiger-war-in-winterthurer-islamisten-szene-aktiv
12 March 2026
18-year-old accused of supporting ISIS and planning a knife attack
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has charged an 18-year-old German-speaking Swiss man with supporting ISIS. The teenager, who lives in the canton of Aargau, allegedly planned to carry out a knife attack on behalf of the terrorist organisation Islamic State.

According to the indictment, he took various precautions to carry out this plan, including obtaining relevant instructions, establishing a network of like-minded individuals, researching the religious justification for such an attack and ordering a suitable knife online.

Furthermore, the indictment states that the defendant supported IS by distributing propaganda videos via social media and carrying out various financial transactions. He must also answer for producing and storing multiple depictions of violence.

The defendant was released from custody in early December 2025. This was because the reasons for detention no longer existed.

Source: https://www.20min.ch/story/fedpol-is-anschlag-geplant-anklage-gegen-18-jaehrigen-aus-dem-aargau-103524939?version=1773307132944
30 January 2026
Woman with mental health issues threatens shopkeepers with knife and shouts ‘Allahu Akbar’
On 30 January 2026, a woman with a history of mental health issues suddenly pulled a knife from her bag in a shop on Viale Stazione in Bellinzona, threatening the manager and an apprentice. As soon as the police arrived, she threatened them too, saying, “Welcome, you bastards! Go away; I know you well. I’m not afraid of guns; kill me,’ she shouted. She ended her rambling sentences with a poorly pronounced “Allah Akbar”, repeated several times. The woman was then detained by the police.

Source: https://www.cdt.ch/news/col-coltello-in-negozio-urla-allah-akbar-417520

24 November 2025
Two people convicted for supporting Islamic State
The Federal Criminal Court (FCC) handed down two convictions for supporting the Islamic State (ISIS) to a 37-year-old Kosovar and a 34-year-old Swiss-Macedonian. Both were acquitted of belonging to the terrorist organisation ‘Brothers of Viti’.

One of the men was sentenced to 30 months in prison, 15 of which were suspended, as well as a suspended fine of 120 daily rates of 30 francs and expulsion from Swiss territory for five years.

The second man received a 53-month prison sentence and a suspended fine of 15 daily rates of 30 francs. However, he cannot be expelled as he also holds a Swiss passport.

The 1,181 days of preventive detention served by the two men were deducted from their sentences. This means that the Kosovar spent 149 days too long in prison and is therefore entitled to 13,410 francs in compensation from the Swiss Confederation for moral damages. The verdict is not yet final and may be appealed to the Federal Criminal Court of Appeal.

Both men were found guilty of supporting the terrorist organisation ISIS and, in the case of the Swiss-Macedonian, the Salafist jihadist armed group ‘Jabhat al-Nusra’, which is active in Syria and Lebanon.

The two were also found guilty of attempting to bribe a Kosovar magistrate, aiding and abetting, and numerous financial crimes, including fraud, money laundering and forging documents.

However, the judges in Bellinzona acquitted the two Islamists of participating in the terrorist organisation ‘Brothers of Geneva’, the Swiss branch of ‘Brothers of Viti’, which, according to the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), intended to take control of a region in eastern Kosovo and establish Sharia law there.

Source: https://www.laregione.ch/svizzera/svizzera/1885804/due-sostegno-isis-condanne-tpf?utm_source=chatgpt.com
17 October 2025
18-year old arrested before planned terrorist attack in Switzerland
Switzerland’s federal prosecutors say they thwarted a suspected terrorist attack this spring, arresting a radicalised 18-year-old man, according to federal prosecutor, Stefan Blättler, in an interview with SonntagsBlick, that was reported by RTS.The young Swiss-German is being held in pre-trial detention. Motivated by Islamist ideology, his alleged goal was to carry out a knife attack, said Blättler.

A knife bought online shortly before the arrest was seized at his home. A criminal investigation is under way, and the presumption of innocence applies. Investigators are also examining whether others were involved.There are more than 140 terrorism-related proceedings currently under way in Switzerland—a record number, up from 120 at the start of the year. The cases range from propaganda and jihadist travel to attack planning. To strengthen the fight against terrorism, the National Council has backed a motion to create a specialised federal prosecution authority. Most suspects are young adults, Blättler noted, calling the situation a societal problem. Prevention and education fall outside the remit of the federal prosecutor’s office, which finds it easier to detect groups than lone actors. There is no single connected group. They cooperate opportunistically, where common interests exist.
According to Blättler, within ten to fifteen years, Switzerland could face a situation similar to Sweden’s if nothing is done. He also renewed his call for more resources. Current funding, he said, does not allow prosecutors to open investigations into every complaint received.

Source: https://lenews.ch/2025/10/17/18-year-old-arrested-before-planned-terrorist-attack-in-switzerland/
12 October 2025
Coordinated arrests and searches carried out in Switzerland and Germany
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) says it stopped a suspected terrorist attack in Switzerland in spring. A Swiss national 18-year-old man radicalised is currently being held in pre-trial detention, according to OAG.

The suspect had reportedly researched methods and was allegedly planning to use a knife. A knife, bought online shortly beforehand, was seized from the suspect. Criminal proceedings are underway and the presumption of innocence applies. Investigators are also looking into whether other people may have been involved.

Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/various/swiss-attorney-general-says-suspected-terror-attack-was-foiled/90153722
07 July 2025
Two man charged for spreading the ideology of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group
Federal prosecutors in Switzerland announced an indictment of a Kosovan and a Swiss-Macedonian dual national on terrorism-related charges and spreading the ideology of the so-called Islamic State (IS) terror group.

The 36-year-old Kosovan and the 33-year-old dual national are suspected of having carried out indoctrination, financing and recruitment of the Swiss chapter of a “Kosovar terrorist organisation” over the last decade, mostly in the Geneva area, the Swiss Attorney General’s office said.

The two men were arrested in September 2022 in connection with an investigation into their alleged support for IS.

The suspects allegedly launched a drive to drum up backing and funds for a “Salafi-jihadi ideology” with hopes to destabilise Kosovo and seize territory to rule under Sharia law.

Source: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/07/07/switzerland-indicts-two-men-on-charges-of-spreading-so-called-islamic-state-ideology
29 April 2025
Swiss police arrest youth suspected of planning synagogue attack in Germany
A 19-year-old youth was arrested in Switzerland in February on suspicion of planning a right-wing extremist-motivated attack on a synagogue in the German city of Halle. The suspect allegedly intended to carry out a shooting similar to the 2019 Yom Kippur attack on Halle’s synagogue, which killed two people. Authorities did not disclose the suspect’s nationality or motive but confirmed the arrest was linked to “serious security threats.”

Source: https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/04/29/germany-teenager-arrested-for-planning-synagogue-attack/ and https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkt7oh1hjx
14 April 2025
Young Swiss man indicted for planning a trip to join the jihad
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has filed an indictment against a 21-year-old Swiss citizen in accelerated proceedings before the Federal Criminal Court. The defendant is suspected of having supported the proscribed terrorist group ‘Islamic state’ (IS), in particular by planning a trip to Somalia in order to join IS there. He is also alleged to have sent IS propaganda material to various recipients and to have possessed depictions of violence.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland accuses the defendant, who resides in the canton of Basel-Stadt, of having been an IS follower from 2023 at the latest and of having sent IS propaganda material to several persons via various communication channels. He allegedly decided to join IS in April 2024 at the latest. To this end, the accused is alleged to have actively contacted IS recruiters and to have maintained close exchanges with them for several months. The recruiters are alleged to have chosen Somalia as the destination and to have organised the accused’s trip. This journey is alleged to have been thwarted by his arrest on 9 July 2024, ordered by the OAG and carried out by fedpol with the support of the cantonal police of Basel-Stadt. The accused is also suspected of having produced several video files containing extreme depictions of violence in 2024. At the time of his arrest, he was allegedly in possession of twenty other depictions of violence.

Source: https://www.bundesanwaltschaft.ch/en/newnsb/k7zvGwv3FGIIOx7jvlc4a
28 January 2025
Switzerland deported the founder of Electronic Intifada
Swiss authorities have deported Ali Abunimah, the executive director of the pro-Palestinian media outlet Electronic Intifada, after detaining him for three days, according to a statement he posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

Abunimah, a Palestinian-American journalist, was arrested on Saturday, just hours before he was set to speak at an event in Zurich. “We do not want an Islamist Jew-hater who calls for violence in Switzerland,” Swiss Security Department head Mario Fehr told Neue Zürcher Zeitung, explaining that authorities were evaluating “immigration law measures” against the 53-year-old.

Upon arriving in Istanbul on Monday, Abunimah recounted his ordeal in a detailed statement. He described being arrested by plainclothes officers and held in solitary confinement, where he was “cut off from communication with the outside world” and “not even permitted to contact my family.”

During an initial police interview, attended by his lawyer, Swiss authorities accused Abunimah of “offending against Swiss law.” However, he stated that they did not specify any crime or present any charges.

The next day, Abunimah said he was interrogated by “Swiss defense ministry intelligence agents” without legal representation. He refused to cooperate, demanding a return to his cell. Throughout his detention, he declined food and accepted only water. “The police returned my phone only at the gate of the plane, so I’m only now seeing the overwhelming support and solidarity from all over the world,” Abunimah said.

Born in Washington, D.C., to Palestinian parents from the West Bank, Abunimah co-founded Electronic Intifada in 2001, a platform that reports on Middle Eastern events from a Palestinian perspective. He frequently appears in media advocating for the Palestinian cause.

Source: https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2025/01/28/3246663/switzerland-deports-pro-palestine-american-journalist
01 May 2024
Two Islamist sisters on trial for plotting an attack against the United Nations
Two Islamist sisters are accused of planning an attack against the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Swiss broadcaster RTS reported on Tuesday morning. The two sisters, together with the minor son of one of them, had joined Islamic State camps in Syria. It was there, between February and the end of March 2015, that the two women began planning the attack. This happened only one month after the Charlie Hebdo and Hyper Kosher attacks in Paris.

The three had already tried to enter Syria in November 2014, but despite contacts made by the son, who was 16 at the time, they were unable to cross the Turkish border, according to RTS. The information available to the teenager came from a jihadist contact, a young man living in the canton of Geneva, who was later convicted by Swiss courts.

In February 2015, the young man finally managed to join Islamic State, but asked to leave just three days later. Accused of spying by the group, the aunt, the mother and the son were kept for another month for questioning. It was during this period that the two women shared their plan to “blow up the UN” with a French woman who had also travelled there.

Source: https://www.mattinonline.ch/it/article/56357/due-sorelle-islamiste-a-processo-per-aver-pianificato-un-attentato-contro-l-onu
13 April 2024
Two minors arrested for supporting Islamic State and an 18-year-old arrested in Thurgau
Two young people from the canton of Schaffhausen have been arrested on charges of supporting the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS). The public prosecutor is investigating them over possible planned bomb attacks. Those arrested are a 15-year-old Swiss national and a 16-year-old Italian national, as announced on Saturday by the Schaffhausen public prosecutor’s office.

An 18-year-old Swiss national, also suspected of supporting ISIS, has additionally been arrested in the canton of Thurgau, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) told Keystone-ATS, confirming a report by Blick. The 18-year-old, who is also suspected of preparatory acts for intentional homicide, is being held in pretrial detention. According to findings by the investigating authorities, the two minors from the canton of Schaffhausen were in contact with the 18-year-old in Thurgau, the OAG specified.

Source: https://www.tio.ch/svizzera/cronaca/1748161/jihadisti-svizzeri-dietro-i-baby-terroristi-tedeschi
04 March 2024
A 15-year-old stabbed a man and claimed responsibility for the attack, saying he was a supporter of Islamic State
A 15-year-old Swiss boy of Tunisian origin stabbed a 50-year-old Orthodox Jewish man in Zurich. In a video, the young man later claimed responsibility for his actions and expressed his solidarity with the Islamic State, speaking in Arabic. The perpetrator, who became a Swiss citizen in 2015, declares his solidarity with the Islamic State in the video.

He was arrested immediately after the incident.

On 8 April 2024, he was described as a hero in a publication by the IS Khorasan group and portrayed as the embodiment of the new generation of the caliphate.

Sources: https://www.tvsvizzera.it/tvs/qui-svizzera/attacco-a-un-ebreo-ortodosso-a-zurigo-si-conferma-la-pista-terrorista/73333203 and https://www.rsi.ch/info/svizzera/Ebreo-accoltellato-a-Zurigo-l%E2%80%99IS-plaude-all%E2%80%99aggressione–2128968.html
08 February 2024
Hostage-taking on a train in the canton of Vaud; hijacker killed
A man took passengers hostage on a train running on the line connecting Baulmes to Yverdon-les-Bains, in the canton of Vaud. According to a late-evening statement released by the Vaud cantonal police, the perpetrator was a 32-year-old Iranian asylum seeker assigned to the canton of Neuchâtel, who spoke Farsi and English. The man was armed with an axe and a knife and forced the train driver to leave his position and join the other passengers. A total of 15 people were taken hostage. The man brought the train to a stop at Essert-sous-Champvent station, keeping the doors closed. According to police, some hostages were tied up.The hostage situation lasted about four hours and ended with a police assault.

“The hijacker brandished the axe toward the intervention team, and a police officer used his weapon to protect the hostages, fatally striking the attacker,” explained Sauterel. The 32-year-old died at the scene, despite the presence of a doctor within the police intervention unit. Police stated that the shot was fired in self-defense. The public prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation. The motives of the perpetrator and his psychological state remain unknown, said Attorney General Éric Kaltenrieder. It is also unclear where the hijacker boarded the train. The hostages were questioned later in the evening as part of the investigation.

Source:https://www.ticinonews.ch/svizzera/presa-dostaggi-su-un-treno-nel-canton-vaud-ucciso-il-sequestratore-389754
25 January 2024
Father and mother of a fighter in Syria in the ranks of IS accused of supporting the organization with 50,000 francs
The parents of an Islamic State (IS) fighter from Geneva are set to appear before the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona (TPF) on charges of supporting the terrorist organisation with over CHF 50,000 between September 2016 and May 2019.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has brought charges against a 59-year-old Swiss-Spanish citizen and a 69-year-old Swiss citizen, and announced this in a press release.

The defendants are the parents of a 29-year-old man who is currently in Kurdish custody in Syria. The OAG has been conducting criminal proceedings against him since 2015, suspecting him of supporting and participating in a criminal group, as well as violating the federal law banning Al-Qaeda and IS. According to the statement, the defendants and their son had been in regular contact since July 2015. According to the indictment, they knew that their son was fighting for IS in Syria. They were also aware that he needed a small amount of money to support himself.

The OAG therefore accuses the parents of contributing to covering their son’s and other ISIS members’ living expenses through the large sums transferred, thereby allowing them to continue to be active in the war zone. Given the substantial sums transferred, the parents are also accused of financing Islamic State activities.

Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/isis%3A-genitori-combattente-jiadista-alla-sbarra/71891072
17 October 2023
IS sympathizer on trial for propaganda for the Islamic State (ISIS) and recruitment
A militant already convicted for traveling to Syria is appearing today before the Federal Criminal Court (FCC) on charges of propaganda for the Islamic State (ISIS) and recruitment of members. The man, now 25 years old, was active in Islamist circles in Winterthur (ZH). In February 2019, he was sentenced by the Winterthur juvenile court to 11 months’ imprisonment suspended for one year. Together with his sister, he had traveled to Syria in 2014 in order to join ISIS. According to the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), the Swiss national continued his militant activities during the initial criminal proceedings and throughout the probation period. The acts he is now accused of took place between February 2018 and the end of October 2019. Since the defendant had reached adulthood, he was summoned before the Federal Criminal Court. The OAG accuses him of recruiting adolescents and young adults for the Islamist cause or of strengthening their extremist convictions. He is also alleged to have posted propaganda images and videos on Telegram and Instagram. The young man was considered one of the pillars of the Islamist circle in Winterthur, which at the time reportedly consisted of between 40 and 50 individuals. He is also accused of having collected donations for imprisoned or fugitive ISIS members and for their families. The OAG further accuses him of insurance fraud. He allegedly staged a fall onto his coccyx in order to receive daily insurance benefits. For this purpose, he is said to have asked his sister to strike him on the lower back to deceive doctors and the Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund (SUVA). The defendant, who was under surveillance, was arrested at the end of October 2019 and held in pretrial detention until July 2020. He was subsequently required to surrender his identity documents and report regularly to the police.

Source:https://www.tio.ch/ticino/attualita/1705531/isis-winterthur-condannato-stato-25enne
10 October 2023
IS sympathizer convicted
The Federal Criminal Court (FCC) in Bellinzona has sentenced a 25-year-old Swiss national to 32 months in prison, 16 of which are to be served, after he was tried for violating legislation banning Islamist groups. The prosecution had sought a sentence of 55 months against the man, an Islamic State (IS) sympathizer. The court also imposed a suspended monetary penalty of 100 daily penalty units of 100 Swiss francs each. The probation period was set at five years; during this time, the man will be required to follow a deradicalization program. The defendant had already received a conviction in 2019, following a trip he made to Syria five years earlier.

Source:https://www.rsi.ch/info/ticino-grigioni-e-insubria/Condanna-per-il-simpatizzante-dell%E2%80%99IS–1911924.html
14 August 2023
Four Syrian nationals arrested for terrorism
The judge in charge of coercive measures has ordered pretrial detention for the four individuals arrested on Thursday in the cantons of Vaud and Neuchâtel, who are accused of actions in support of an Islamist terrorist group.

According to what was announced on Thursday, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) is conducting three criminal proceedings—opened between January 2022 and September 2022—against four Syrian nationals aged 28, 49, 53, and 57. Two of them were arrested in asylum seeker centers in the cantons of Vaud and Neuchâtel, while the other two are domiciled in the canton of Vaud. The four are accused of having carried out various actions in support of the al-Nusra Front, a terrorist organization formally affiliated with al-Qaeda and established in the context of the Syrian civil war. The three criminal proceedings concern suspected participation in or support of a criminal organization (Article 260ter of the Swiss Criminal Code) and violations of Article 2 of the Federal Act banning the groups “Al-Qaeda” and “Islamic State,” as well as associated organizations.

Source: https://www.rsi.ch/info/svizzera/Romandia-confermati-gli-arresti-per-terrorismo–1860956.html
06 February 2023
Individual convicted for committing a jihadist homicide
On Tuesday, January 10 2023, the Federal Criminal Court in Switzerland sentenced an individual to 20 years in prison for committing a jihadist homicide in September 2020. For the first time, an individual has been convicted of a jihadist homicide. The sentence includes an institutional therapeutic measure, despite the defendant’s opposition to psychiatric treatment.

Source: https://lawcareerstart.ch/first-conviction-in-switzerland-for-a-terrorist-act/
10 January 2023
Turkish-Swiss dual national who stabbed a passer-by to death in a rare jihadi attack in Switzerland was sentenced
A Turkish-Swiss dual national who stabbed a passer-by to death in a rare jihadi attack in Switzerland was sentenced to 20 years in a psychiatric institution.

Named only as Omer A., the 29-year-old was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, attempted arson in trying to blow up a gas station, support for the Islamic State group, downloading depictions of atrocious acts of violence, and breaking drug laws.

Before the murder, Omer A. had committed a range of offenses, including sharing Islamic State propaganda material, and attempting to join IS in the conflict zone between Syria and Iraq. Omer A. had set off in 2019 in a bid to reach Syria and join IS, although he did not make it further than Italy before turning back. That same year, the court said, he repeatedly attempted to set fire to a gas station in a residential area, endangering lives. And while in detention since his arrest the day after the murder in Morges, he had attempted to stab a prison guard in the throat. Omer A. has shown no sincere regret, the court added. Based on psychiatric reports, it said it had decided Omer A. should be held in a secure facility where he can receive inpatient therapeutic treatment. This, it said, “is intended to prevent him from committing further crimes and reduce his dangerousness.”

Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/turkish-swiss-is-supporter-sentenced-in-2020-killing/6912668.html
19 September 2022
Perpetrator of the jihadist attack on two women on 24 November 2020 at Manor sentenced
The Federal Criminal Court (FCC) in Bellinzona has sentenced the perpetrator of the jihadist attack on two women on 24 November 2020 at Manor in Lugano to nine years in prison, but the woman will be sent to a treatment centre rather than prison.

The woman, a 30-year-old Swiss citizen, was found guilty of attempted murder and of violating the federal law prohibiting the groups “Al-Qaeda” and “Islamic State” and associated organisations. She was also charged with illegal prostitution.

The federal prosecutor had requested a 14-year prison sentence, 11 years for attempted murder and three years for membership of Al-Qaeda, Islamic State and associated groups.

The woman, who lives in Ticino, had asked a sales assistant in the household goods department of the Manor department store in Lugano to recommend a sharp bread knife before committing the crime. She then used it to stab two women chosen at random. The serrated blade of the bread knife was 21 centimetres long.

During the knife attack, the woman shouted ‘Allah u Akbar’ – ‘God is the greatest’ and ‘I am here for ISIS’. According to information from the Federal Office of Police (fedpol), five years earlier the accused had been in contact with a jihadist fighter, with whom she had fallen in love via social media. In 2017, she attempted to travel to Syria but was stopped at the Turkish-Syrian border and sent back to Switzerland by the Turkish authorities.

The woman suffered from mental health issues and was admitted to a psychiatric institution upon her return to Switzerland. However, since 2017, she has not appeared in any fedpol investigations into terrorism.

Source: https://www.bluewin.ch/it/attualita/regionali/tpf-accoltellamento-lugano-9-anni-autrice-andr-in-cura-1382701.html
01 September 2022
Coordinated arrests and searches carried out in Switzerland and Germany
Four houses were searched in cantons Vaud and Geneva on Thursday after warrants were issued by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG).

A Swiss-Macedonian dual citizen and a Kosovar citizen were arrested on suspicion of supporting banned terrorist organisations. The two arrested suspects are being questioned by federal prosecutors who will decide on whether to lay charges and how long to keep the duo detained.

Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/islamic-state-suspects-arrested-during-swiss-police-raids/47868836
14 June 2022
Coordinated arrests and searches carried out in Switzerland and Germany
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), the Winterthur Juvenile Court and the Federal Public Prosecutor at the German Court of Justice carried out several simultaneous arrests and house searches in Switzerland in the cantons of Zurich, St. Gallen and Lucerne, as well as in Germany. The joint operation was carried out as part of criminal proceedings conducted by the participating authorities against a total of four individuals suspected of participating in or supporting the banned terrorist organisation Islamic State. During the coordinated operation, three individuals were arrested and seven searches were carried out in Switzerland, while one arrest and one search were carried out in Germany.

The OAG is conducting criminal proceedings against two adults on suspicion of violating Article 2 of the Federal Act on the Prohibition of the Al-Qaida Group, the Islamic State Group and Associated Organisations (SR 122) and on suspicion of participating in or supporting a terrorist organisation (Article 260ter of the Swiss Criminal Code). The investigation in question was launched in December 2021. The accused are a 20-year-old Swiss citizen and a 26-year-old Swiss citizen residing in the Canton of Zurich. Both are already known to the Swiss criminal prosecution authorities and have criminal records for supporting the Islamic State. They have been arrested. The OAG will presumably file a request for pre-trial detention with the competent coercive measures judge.

The third arrest in Switzerland was carried out as part of criminal proceedings by the Winterthur Juvenile Court, as the accused is a minor. Further information on these proceedings is available from the Juvenile Court of the Canton of Zurich.

The three individuals arrested in Switzerland were connected to each other and to the person arrested by the German authorities in Germany. For this reason, the house searches and arrests were carried out simultaneously.

Source: https://www.admin.ch/gov/it/pagina-iniziale/documentazione/comunicati-stampa.msg-id-89260.html

25 November 2020
Eight foreign nationals were apprehended and charged with terrorism
A 28-year-old Swiss woman from the canton of Ticino attempted to stab one woman in the neck and strangle another in a shopping centre in Lugano. The Ticino authorities are investigating the incident as a terrorist attack, as the woman was already known to the authorities, her name having appeared in a 2017 investigation into “jihadist terrorism”.

Source: https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2020/11/25/attentato-terroristico-a-lugano-una-donna-attacca-due-persone-con-un-coltello-in-un-centro-commerciale-era-nota-alle-autorita/6015609/
03 November 2020
Eight foreign nationals were apprehended and charged with terrorism
The Zurich Canton Police confirmed the arrest of two people in the northeastern town of Winterthur in coordination with the Austrian authorities over their possible connections to the terrorist attack in Vienna carried out by Kujtim Fejzulai. They are an 18-year-old and a 24-year old from Switzerland.

Sources: https://breakingthenews.net/Article/Swiss-police-arrests-two-people-over-Vienna-attack/53668704 and https://www.citynewsservice.cn/articles/2-arrested-in-switzerland-over-vienna-attack-dmjwolen
08 October 2020
Iraqi man sentenced for supporting and participating in the Islamic State
A 52-year-old Iraqi man was sentenced to 70 months in prison and expulsion from Switzerland for 15 years by the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona. He was found guilty of supporting and participating in the Islamic State organisation.

Although it is the heaviest sentence ever handed down in Switzerland for jihadist terrorism, it is nevertheless less than that requested by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), which had sought six years and nine months in prison. The OAG had also requested life imprisonment, as it considers the risk of reoffending to be high.

The 52-year-old has already served about two-thirds of his sentence.

The OAG accused the man, who has lived in Switzerland for 22 years, of acting on behalf of IS several times between 2016 and 2017, including in relation to the preparation of a suicide attack. He is also accused of possessing videos and images depicting violence and cruel acts, such as beheadings, mutilations, killings involving explosives or weapons, and people being burned alive.

The proceedings also dealt with his relationship with a woman residing in Lebanon whom he met on Facebook, married via videoconference and allegedly encouraged to carry out an attack against her country’s army.

Source: https://www.tvsvizzera.it/tvs/qui-svizzera/tribunale-penale-federale_svizzera–oltre-5-anni-di-carcere-per-un-militante-dell-isis/46084948
05 October 2020
Swiss police arrest four suspected of funding and recruiting IS terrorists
Swiss authorities have arrested four people in a number of ISIS terror raids in connection with a network suspected of financing the group.

It is alleged the group recruited terrorists, financed their travel to Syria and helped others return from fighting for the ISIS cause. Prosecutors further allege the suspects financed the terrorist group and promoted propaganda.

Those arrested include a 26-year-old Kosovan man, a 28-year-old Kosovan woman, a 29-year-old Macedonian man and a Swiss-Kosovan dual national, 34.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) said three homes were searched on Friday after raids in the region of Fribourg.

Source: https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/europe/swiss-police-arrest-four-suspected-of-funding-and-recruiting-isis-terrorists-1.1088798
17 September 2020
Turkish-Swiss man confessed to stabbing a random man for jihadist ideological reasons
A man suspected of fatally stabbing a random man in western Switzerland on 12 September 2020 confessed, saying that he acted in the name of jihadism,

He had been released from prison in July, having been under surveillance for possible links to Islamist terrorism.

The 26-year-old Turkish-Swiss dual national had been known to the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) since 2017 “for the consumption and dissemination of jihadist propaganda”.

In April 2019 he was arrested and held in pre-trial detention following an arson attack on a petrol station in Prilly, canton Vaud.

In July 2020, at the request of the OAG, the compulsory measures court released the suspect from detention. This release was subject to various alternative measures outlined by the authorities involved, including a dusk-to-dawn curfew, requiring the suspect to report regularly to the authorities and banning him from carrying any weapons.

Before the incident, the OAG had received no reports of any breaches of these measures, which would have justified placing the suspect back in detention.

OAG had requested that the suspect be committed to a psychiatric institution, considering that his psychological health was deteriorating and that he was not very cooperative. But owing to a lack of space he was released.

At around 9pm on Saturday, the man attacked a 29-year-old Portuguese national in a kebab restaurant near Morges train station.

After a night on the run, the suspect was arrested the following day by cantonal police. According to RTS, he was found with the weapon and a copy of the Koran. He reportedly admitted that he had acted in the name of jihadism, “out of vengeance against the Swiss state” and to “avenge the Prophet”.

The OAG said that, in view of the incident in Morges, it had extended the criminal proceedings that were opened in April 2019 to include intentional homicide and murder.

Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/murder-suspect-acted–out-of-vengeance-against-the-swiss-state-/46040334
11 September 2019
Switzerland revoked the citizenship of a man convicted of helping recruit jihadist fighters
Switzerland revoked the citizenship of a man convicted of helping recruit jihadist fighters, invoking a law allowing dual nationals to be stripped of their Swiss passports for conduct detrimental to national interests or reputation.

The Swiss office did not release the other nationality of the man, who is in prison after receiving a multiple-year sentence for crimes including membership in a terrorist organisation, spreading IS propaganda and seeking to convince fighters to participate in jihadist violence in the Middle East.

The man, likely to be expelled from Switzerland after his eventual release from prison, still has the opportunity to appeal, the immigration office said, without identifying him.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/world/swiss-revoke-citizenship-from-dual-national-islamic-state-recruiter-idUSKCN1VW1ML/
26 July 2019
Abu Ilias al-Swissri captured in Syria
A 24-year-old man from Geneva known as Daniel D. is being held in a kurdish prison in Syria. He was captured by the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern Syrian town of Al-Baghuz.

He is also known as Abu Ilias al-Swissri, Daniel D. is classified by counter-terrorism experts as the most dangerous Swiss jihadist. He is the only Swiss national on an Interpol list of 173 members of the Islamic State martyr brigade, a group trained to carry out terrorist attacks. Born into a Catholic family, he turned to Islam after failing to complete his education. It is believed that he was radicalized at the Petit-Saconnex mosque in Geneva. He has a wife, whom he married in Syria, and a 11-month old son. Both are believed to be held in the al-Hol internment camp, controlled by the SDF.

Sources: https://lenews.ch/2019/07/26/switzerlands-most-dangerous-terrorist-being-held-in-sy ria/ and https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/daniel-d-_switzerland-s-most-dangerous-jihadist-captured-in-syria/45111532
30 October 2019
Eleven people arrested for terrorism
Swiss police have launched raids in several parts of the country targeting people suspected of being linked to terrorist extremists, prosecutors said.

The raids took place in the provinces of Zurich, Bern and Schaffhausen, during which police searched 11 houses, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The campaign targeted 11 individuals, including five minors, who will be prosecuted by a special office.

The prosecution said it had launched proceedings against six adults on suspicion of violating Swiss law prohibiting support for or affiliation with al-Qaeda-style terrorist organizations.

One of those arrested was a Foreign Fighter who had returned to Switzerland and had previously been convicted of violating the country’s anti-terrorism laws.

Source: https://shiawaves.com/english/news/world/8203-eleven-people-arrested-in-anti-terror-campaign-in-switzerland/
30 December 2018
Swiss national arrested in Morocco in connection with the killing of two Scandinavian women
Morocco’s Central Bureau for Judicial Investigations (BCIJ) has announced the arrest of a Swiss national in connection with the killing of two Scandinavian women, as part of an ongoing investigation.

The two tourists, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, and Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, were found dead with knife wounds to the neck on 17 December near the village of Imlil, which is on a route to Toubkal — North Africa’s highest peak — a popular hiking and trekking destination.

The arrested man is also suspected of being involved in the recruitment of Moroccan and sub-Saharan nationals to carry out terrorist plots in Morocco against foreign targets and security forces, with the aim of seizing their weapons.

He is also reported to hold Spanish nationality and reside in Morocco.

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/30/morocco-swiss-national-arrested-over-links-to-tourists-killing
19 September 2018
Arrested one of the pro-Brotherhood and Qatar regime supporters
Swiss police arrested a pro-Brotherhood and pro-Qatari regime supporter who attempted to attack Qatari and other Arab activists organising a silent protest outside the offices of the UNHCR in Geneva to denounce terrorism and the Doha government’s repressive practices against the al-Ghufran tribe.

The al-Ghufran tribe, along with a number of Egyptian, Yemeni and Syrian activists, were organising a permitted silent protest outside the Palais des Nations in Geneva, denouncing human rights abuses, denationalisation and forced displacement policies by the Doha government, as well as Qatari support for terrorism in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Egypt.

The Muslim Brotherhood, designated a terrorist organisation in Egypt and several other Arab countries, reportedly sent some of its members from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, as well as individuals reportedly living illegally in Switzerland, to attack the protest.

Initially, the Swiss police buffered the attackers away from the protesters, but the pro-Qatar individuals returned, attempting to use violence against the protesters.

The arrested Brotherhood follower was stopped by the police after attacking some al-Ghufran protesters on their way to a subway station. Many pro-Brotherhood supporters fled the scene to avoid arrest.

Source: https://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsPrint/311868.aspx
15 August 2018
Osamah M. was convicted of having links with ISIS and of planning terrorist attacks
Wheelchair-bound Osamah M. was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison in March 2016 by the Swiss Federal Criminal Court. The Federal Supreme Court subsequently reduced his sentence by a year in March 2017 after an initial appeal. Osamah M. then appealed again, arguing that the criminal court had incorrectly classified his crimes as serious. He also claimed that he had been the victim of a trial by the media and that the large security presence outside the court during the original trial had created the impression that he was guilty. However, in a recent ruling, the Federal Supreme Court rejected these arguments and upheld the reduced sentence of three years and eight months.

Osamah M. was released from jail in March 2017 after serving his sentence in full. However, he cannot be deported to Iraq, where he faces the death penalty. Dubbed the “wheelchair bomber” by Swiss media, he arrived in Switzerland in 2012 and obtained asylum. It has been reported that he joined a terrorist organisation in Iraq as early as 2004, and then posed as a victim of the Syrian civil war when applying for asylum in Switzerland.

While hospitalised in Schaffhausen in the north-east of the country, before being transferred to a centre for paraplegics in the canton of Aargau, Osamah M. maintained close links with ISIS and planned terrorist attacks. In fact, he was the supposed ringleader of a group believed to be attempting to establish an ISIS cell in Switzerland and carry out attacks in the country.

Despite undergoing operations and rehabilitation, Osamah M. remained active on social media and posted videos in support of Sharia law and terrorism.

The case was launched following a tip-off from foreign intelligence services and relied on interpretations of communications between Osamah M. and three other men on Facebook and Skype. For the prosecution, the words they used — including one deemed a code for a bomb — indicated that they were attempting to bring people and materials into Switzerland in order to prepare an attack.

Sources: https://www.thelocal.ch/20180815/top-swiss-court-upholds-jail-term-for-isis-supporter and https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/sites/default/files/assets/2018-12-tcm-32-en.pdf
16 June 2018
One of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland convicted
A Swiss court handed a 20-month suspended sentence to an official of a prominent Islamic group for the alleged production and distribution of jihadist propaganda, but acquitted the group’s leader.

Of the three suspects from the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS), the group’s head, Nicolas Blancho, and spokesman, Qaasim Illi, were both acquitted.

However, Naim Cherni, a German national and head of the council’s “culture production department”, was sentenced. He travelled to Syria in 2015 and made films there with an Islamist leader known as This leader was Abdallah al-Muhaysini, of the jihadist umbrella organisation Jaysh al-Fath (“Army of Conquest”).

Prosecutors said that the films, which they claimed amounted to jihadist propaganda, were “promoted via social media and at a public event” by Blancho, Illi and Cherni.

Blancho, who converted to Islam at the age of 16, has previously denied having ties to extremism, but has taken positions that are considered more radical than those of other Muslim leaders in Switzerland.

Source: https://www.thelocal.ch/20180616/swiss-court-jails-islamic-group-official-for-jihadist-film
15 December 2017
A 31-year-old woman convicted for attempting to reach Syria with her son
A 31-year-old woman from Winterthur who converted to Islam – and radicalised in 2009 and Raised in Winterthur-Töss – was prosecuted by the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona for leaving Switzerland to join the Islamic State (ISIS) with her four-year-old son.

According to the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, F.S. attempted to reach Syria in order to join ISIS. The indictment states that her actions “knowingly and intentionally promoted the activities of ISIS”.

The woman was arrested by police in Greece in January 2016 while travelling with her 4-year-old son. Investigators believe she travelled by sea from Egypt to Crete. She had paid traffickers 12,000 Swiss francs for the journey. She then attempted to reach Syria via Athens, but was stopped at the Turkish border. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office stated that she then tried to reach Syria twice more before being arrested and flown back to Switzerland. Following her forced repatriation, she was detained at Zurich police station for one day. The authorities withdrew her identity documents and driving licence. She was placed on probation and ordered to report to the Zurich cantonal police once a week pending trial.

On 15 December 2017, the Federal Criminal Court sentenced the woman to eighteen months in prison, partially suspended.

Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/societa/seguace-isis-a-processo_con-il-figlioletto-di-4-anni-nella-jihad–ora-in-tribunale-in-svizzera/43755078
07 November 2017
Nine people arrested in France and another in Switzerland
In a series of coordinated counter-terrorism operations following a spate of deadly attacks in Europe in recent years, French police arrested nine people and another was arrested in Switzerland.

According to Swiss officials, a 23-year-old Colombian woman was taken into custody following police raids in Switzerland. They added that a 27-year-old Swiss man was among those arrested in parallel French police raids linked to Islamist militant activity. Further, a Swiss statement cited suspected involvement in terrorist activity and banned Islamist militant groups such as al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Those arrested were aged between 18 and 65, according to a French source.

The source spoke of suspected participation in a terrorist criminal network and of communications via Telegram, a messaging app popular with militants because it allows users to encrypt their messages.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/world/french-arrest-nine-swiss-one-in-joint-anti-terrorism-swoop-idUSKBN1D715B/
10 October 2017
The brother of the Marseille attacker was detained
Anouar Hanachi, a Tunisian national, was detained at a refugee registration centre in Switzerland pending deportation and possible extradition proceedings by France.

According to the Federal Police Office (Fedpol), Anouar was the brother of Ahmed Hanachi, a 29-year-old illegal immigrant who killed two women at Marseille Saint-Charles railway station on 1 October 2017. He was subsequently killed by soldiers on patrol at the scene.

Another brother, 25-year-old Anis Hanachi, was arrested in Ferrara, Italy, on charges of participating in a terrorist organisation and complicity in the heinous crime committed by Ahmed. Investigators stated that the young man had fought in Syria as a foreign fighter and had indoctrinated and radicalised his brother.

Sources: https://www.lanuovaferrara.it/ferrara/cronaca/2017/10/10/news/terrorismo-arrestato-in-svizzera-un-altro-fratello-di-anis-1.15970844 and https://www.interno.gov.it/it/notizie/arrestato-ferrara-dei-terroristi-marsiglia
28 June 2017
Four people arrested for having links to terrorist organisations
Swiss police arrested four people suspected of having links to terrorist organisations such as Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) this month, fearing that some posed “an immediate danger”, prosecutors said on Wednesday (28 June).

The Office of the Swiss Attorney General (OAG) confirmed that three individuals were arrested in the western canton of Vaud on Friday 23 and Saturday 24 June, suspected of violating the prohibition of groups such as Al-Qaeda, Islamic State (ISIS) and similar organisations.

They were also suspected of participating in a “criminal organisation”. A fourth man — reportedly a taxi driver suspected of being an ISIS recruiter — was arrested in Geneva on 14 June. According to the OAG, there was no apparent link with the other three.

Swiss authorities have not revealed the identities or nationalities of those arrested. However, on Wednesday, the OAG stressed that all of those arrested were men. OAG information chief André Marty told the Le Temps daily that the Aubonne arrests were made because it was believed the suspects ‘might pose an immediate danger’. He added that the man arrested in Geneva earlier this month was not believed to have any connection with those arrested in Vaud, and insisted that it would be “a complete exaggeration to talk about the dismantlement of a terrorist network”.

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/swiss-police-arrest-4-people-on-suspicion-of-terror-links
28 May 2017
An’Nur mosque in Winterthur cease to exist
Atef Sahnoun, the president of the An’Nur cultural association of the mosque, confirmed the closure. The mosque, located north of Zurich, was originally slated to close by the end of 2016, as the company that owned the property refused to renew the long-term lease. The mosque was raided in November 2016, after its Imam was accused of having called on worshippers to murder other Muslims who refused to take part in communal prayers. The umbrella association of Islamic organisations in Zurich (VIOZ) had suspended the mosque after the incident. However, the place of worship made the news again in February after some of its members attacked two people inside the mosque for sharing information on the same Imam’s speech with journalists.

In the past, the An’Nur mosque had denied accusations that it is involved in radicalising its members. Suspicions were raised when the media identified six Winterthur residents as having travelled to Syria to fight. The An-Nur Mosque had come into the spotlight due to the fact that some young people from this region who had written about jihad in Syria had been indoctrinated with radical Islam precisely by attending sermons at this mosque. Among them were an Albanian brother and sister, minor students.

Source: https://www.periskopi.com/en/The-mosque-in-Switzerland-is-closing–this-is-the-reason/ and https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/society/controversial-swiss-mosque-to-shut-down-after-ramadan/43214730
22 February 2017
Two men arrested for suspected involvement in terrorist activities
Swiss police arrested two men – one with dual Swiss-Turkish citizenship and the other a Turkish citizen – for suspected involvement in terrorist activities, including recruiting for the self-styled “Islamic State” or similar organizations.

At least 100 law enforcement officers staged several raids in the Italian-speaking region of Ticino (or Tessin to German speakers), according to the attorney general’s office. The raids targeted several houses and a mosque, prosecutors added. The operation formed part of an independent investigation by Swiss authorities.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/more-than-100-swiss-police-raid-suspected-islamist-targets/a-37675294
14 December 2016
Extended preventive detention for a man with Italian origins with links to ISIS
The Federal Court confirmed the extension of preventive detention for a man from Winterthur. He has been in prison since February and was suspected by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) of having links to ISIS.

His pre-trial detention was previously extended on 17 August until 15 November. In October, the Federal Criminal Court (FCC) ruled to extend this period further, against which the defendant appealed.

The defendant initially admitted travelling to Syria in 2013 and staying in a camp where he performed surveillance duties. Several photos show him wearing combat gear and carrying weapons. His statements, as well as information obtained during the investigation, show that he was in close contact with extremists who openly supported ISIS. Furthermore, the suspect held a leadership position in an association frequented by jihadists, Salafist hate preachers, and ISIS recruiters.

As a combat sports instructor, he knew several individuals, including a number of young people who subsequently travelled or attempted to travel to Iraq or Syria. The investigation also revealed that he had trained in Syria for the ‘holy war’, contemplating death as a martyr.

The man, who converted to Islam and whose origins are Italian, claims that he travelled to the region with the aim of distributing basic necessities. He denied that he actively participated in the conflict.

Source: https://www.laregione.ch/svizzera/svizzera/1209370/rimane-in-detenzione-preventiva-un-presunto-jihadista
22 November 2016
Assailants held two members of the An’Nur Mosque
Assailants held two members of the An’Nur Mosque hostage in Winterthur, Zurich, Switzerland. Both victims were beaten and injured before being released later the same day. No group claimed responsibility, though sources posited that the victims were targeted for allegedly notifying journalists about a recent sermon in which the imam of the mosque incited violence.

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20240803162819/https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=201611220052
04 October 2016
Assailants armed with knives tried to assassinate Lebanese rights activist
Assailants armed with knives attacked Tareq Shandab in Geneva, Switzerland. Shandab, a Lebanese rights activist, was unharmed in the attack. No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

Lebanese rights activist Tareq Shandab was the target of an assassination attempt earlier this month after delivering a presentation at the UN’s Geneva headquarters, according to a statement issued Monday by the International Jurists Union. Describing the incident as “barbaric”, the Istanbul-based union went on to demand an “urgent investigation” into the alleged incident.

“Six unidentified individuals with knives attacked Shandab as he was returning to his hotel… after making a presentation on Iranian terrorism and its proponents,” the statement read. The union went on to assert that security guards at the hotel had intervened to rescue Shandab, prompting the perpetrators to flee the scene. Swiss police, the union added, were currently searching for those responsible. The jurists’ union went on to urge various parties to cooperate with the police investigation — especially the Iraqi and Iranian delegations, members of which, the union alleged, “allowed those responsible [for the reported attack] to obtain permits to enter the UN building” in Geneva.

Source:ttps://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/activist-subject-to-assassination-bid-in-geneva-ngo/658345
13 August 2016
A 27-year-old man attacked train passengers
On 13 August, at 14:20 on a train travelling through the north-eastern canton of St. Gallen, between the stations of St. Margrethen and Sargans, a 27-year-old man armed with a knife and flammable liquid attacked several passengers. One of those injured, a 34-year-old man, died, and at least five others, including a six-year-old child, were injured or burned. A 50-year-old man, a 17-year-old boy, and two women aged 17 and 43 were also injured.

The attacker, who was seriously injured and taken to hospital, was a Swiss citizen with a history of arrests and hospitalisations. There are currently no indications that the attack was terrorism-related or politically motivated. The police have stated that this was an isolated incident, but they could not exclude terrorist motive.

According to subsequent press reports, the perpetrator of the attack died the day after it occurred.

Source: https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/cronaca/2016/08/13/svizzera-uomo-attacca-con-coltello-su-treno-7-feriti_6c0cfc99-1c88-4321-be72-d813d5f3405c.html and https://www.cdt.ch/news/san-gallo-il-ragazzo-e-la-bambina-ancora-in-condizioni-critiche-154241
15 July 2016
Swiss-Lebanese was sentenced for attempting to join ISIS
In July 2016, Ahmed J., a Swiss-Lebanese dual national in his mid-20s from Winterthur, was sentenced by the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona to 18 months in prison, suspended, for attempting to join ISIS. He was intercepted by the police as he was leaving Zurich Airport. He had been preparing to board a Turkish Airlines flight to Istanbul, Turkey, from where he intended to travel on to Syria or Iraq. He maintained that he wanted to go to Syria for humanitarian purposes and denied planning to join ISIS.

Following his arrest, investigators discovered IS symbols and photos of jihadi soldiers, as well as propaganda material glorifying violence, death and martyrdom, on the man’s laptop.

In February 2017, the Federal Court in Lausanne (the Swiss Supreme Court) upheld the original ruling.

The eldest of six children, the defendant was born and raised in the canton of Zurich. Many of his classmates at school were Albanian Muslims, and he later began to frequent a mosque in Winterthur, which the authorities believe is a place where young Muslims are being radicalised. The young man, who describes himself as a devout Muslim, had recently been living with his girlfriend and their young son at his parents’ house.

Between September and December 2014, the court said, he had been in contact with a man from Winterthur who had left for Syria with his girlfriend; both have since returned. He was also said to have been in contact with another individual who travelled to Istanbul and Syria in February 2015.

The police have also stated that they discovered evidence of a phone call between the defendant and his girlfriend, during which he confided his desire to die as a martyr.

Sources: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/swiss-terrorism-trial_trial-of-jihadist-arrested-at-zurich-airport-begins/42298646 and https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/societa/seguace-isis-a-processo_con-il-figlioletto-di-4-anni-nella-jihad-ora-in-tribunale-in-svizzera/43755078
18 March 2016
Three Iraqi men were convicted of being ISIS members or supporters; one Iraqi was acquitted
A Swiss court has handed down a conviction for the first time in the country for activities linked to the terrorist organisation ISIS.
The Federal Criminal Court convicted three of the four Iraqi men accused of being ISIS members or supporters.
The judges found that the three convicted men had attempted to bring information, materials and individuals into Switzerland with the intention of carrying out an attack. However, the fourth defendant, a former imam, was acquitted and will receive compensation as his membership of a criminal organisation could not be proven.
While the High Court of Bellinzona largely upheld the Swiss Federal Prosecutor’s Office’s request for convictions, it imposed less severe sentences. Two of the defendants were sentenced to four years and eight months in prison, while the third was sentenced to three years and six months.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office launched its investigation in March 2014 following information passed on to the Federal Judicial Police by the Federal Intelligence Service. The Federal Intelligence Service had been alerted by American intelligence services who believed that an ISIS group was planning an attack.
The trial, which took place amid tight security, began on 29 February and ended on 3 March. The four men were charged with participating in a criminal organisation under Article 260ter of the Swiss Criminal Code. The first three arrests took place between March and April 2014. In July 2015, the criminal proceedings were extended to include a fourth defendant.

Sources: https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/politica/terrorismo-tre-iracheni-condannati-per-preparativi-di-atti-terroristici-in-svizzera/42030576 and https://www.thelocal.ch/20160318/jail-for-iraqis-guilty-of-supporting-is-in-switzerland
30 January 2016
Two men with Syrian origin released
Swiss prosecutors said they have released two men who were arrested near Geneva in December 2015 on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks.

Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/swiss-release-two-men-held-in-terror-probe-1454169163
11 December 2015
Two men of Syrian origin were arrested
The police arrested two men of Syrian origin, and traces of explosives were found in their car, although no toxic gas was found, according to the Geneva prosecutor. Criminal proceedings have been opened for the manufacturing, concealing and transporting of explosives, as well as for suspected violation of a federal law prohibiting groups such as al-Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and similar organisations, said prosecutor Olivier Jornot. He also said that the two men, who did not speak French and had Syrian passports, had told investigators that they had just arrived in Switzerland in a recently acquired car.

According to Geneva’s Le Temps newspaper, one of the men arrested was a friend of Salah Abdeslam, the only alleged attacker of last month’s Paris massacre to escape alive.

The operation began when the Swiss government received information from a foreign authority regarding a potential IS cell in the Geneva area. Reports in the Swiss media said that this intelligence originally came from the United States. Le Temps, a daily newspaper, quoted a source close to the investigation as saying that US intelligence had identified three jihadist cells in Chicago, Toronto and Geneva.

Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35083819 and https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/switzerland/12047526/Switzerland-confirms-arrest-of-two-Syrians-in-terror-alert.html
16 October 2015
Four Iraqis charged in alleged Swiss ISIS cell
Swiss authorities have charged four Iraqi nationals with planning a terrorist attack in Europe on behalf of the Islamic State group. Though details of the planned attack were sketchy, Switzerland’s attorney general confirmed on Friday that IS “was to claim responsibility (for) these plans if successful”.

The four Iraqis, ranging in ages from 29 to 34, face charges of participating in or supporting a criminal organisation and preparing a terrorist attack. They also are accused of multiple counts of depicting violence and illegally staying in the country. “Given the international dimension, various countries are affected by this case,” authorities said in a statementExternal link. “The Office of the Attorney General is accordingly in contact with the law enforcement authorities of various states. The cooperation with the US Department of Justice is particularly close.”

The cooperation marks the first time that Swiss and US officials have activated a 2006 treaty that calls for establishing joint investigation teams in the fight against terrorism. Police first arrested three of the four Iraqis, ranging in age from 29 to 34, in northeastern Switzerland in March and April 2014. They have been in custody since then. The criminal investigation expanded to include a fourth Iraqi in July 2015.

He is suspected of traveling to Syria to bring radio equipment to IS, the attorney general’s office said, and of trying to hide his Facebook connections to a high-ranking IS member.

After a Western counterpart intercepted the suspects’ phone calls, the tips went to the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service, which then alerted the Federal Criminal Police.

The three Iraqis who were initially arrested had allegedly helped about 40 jihadists in Switzerland travel to join IS in the regions it controls within Syria and Iraq. They also allegedly tried to obtain toxic gas and explosives to mount attacks. Swiss investigators have been working on the case with US and other European authorities. One of the four men had joined a predecessor organisation of IS in 2004 and made contacts in Syria in 2011 with the Syrian branch of IS that included another one of the suspects, the attorney general’s office said. “After entering Switzerland at the beginning of 2012, he maintained contact with this group and forged plans for attacks with another accused and a third party who was to travel to Switzerland from abroad,” the statement said. “The three accused individuals also aided and abetted smuggling further IS followers to Europe, assumed coordination tasks, disseminated propaganda for the actions of the terrorist organisation, gave instructions and also provided operative advice amongst other things,” it said.

Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/terror-cell_four-iraqis-charged-in-alleged-swiss-isis-cell/41723398
09 Aprile 2015
Swiss police arrest aspiring Islamic militant at Zurich airport
A 25-year-old Swiss man suspected of trying to travel to Syria or Iraq to join Islamic militants was arrested at Zurich airport, the federal prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.

The man, from the Zurich area, was arrested while seeking to board a plane to Istanbul, Turkey.

The unidentified man was accused of having links to a group banned in Switzerland and supporting a criminal organisation. The arrest demonstrates “the systematic legal pursuit of all people in Switzerland who are trying to take part in jihadist terrorism,” the prosecutors said.

Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/swiss-police-arrest-aspiring-islamic-militant-at-zurich-airport
02 May 2014
Two Iraq-born men convicted of membership in a criminal organization and forgery
Two men born in Iraq who were involved with a group led by a Norway-based Islamist cleric were convicted in Switzerland of belonging to a criminal organisation and forgery.

In a ruling, the Federal Criminal Court of Switzerland said that Karwan Mohammad Abdulkarim, 35, was sentenced to three years and three months in prison, while his younger brother, Mustafa Mohammad Abdulkarim, 28, was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended.

According to Swiss prosecutors, the brothers – both Kurdish refugees living in Basel – were part of a group set up by the cleric Najmaddin Faraj Ahmad (also known as Mullah Krekar) that published videos of al-Qaida leaders Ayman al-Zawahiri and Osama bin Laden on websites.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/swiss-convict-2-iraqi-brothers-of-criminal-ties-to-norwegian-clerics-group
01 October 2012
Two Kurdish brothers charged with taking part in a terrorist organisation linked to al-Qaeda
Two Kurdish brothers from Iraqi Kurdistan who were living as refugees in Switzerland were charged with belonging to a terrorist organisation linked to al-Qaeda. They were accused of using internet forums and chat rooms to distribute images and texts about attacks carried out by Islamist terrorist organisations, including al-Qaeda and Ansar al-Islam.

The elder brother was suspected of establishing a new al-Qaeda support organisation in collaboration with Mullah Krekar, founder of the radical Iraqi Kurdish Islamist group Ansar al-Islam, who was serving consecutive prison sentences in Norway for threatening a former government minister and others.

The elder brother had held a number of key responsibilities in the new organisation. He was accused of setting up an internet forum and numerous chat room pages and transmitting messages between Mullah Krekar (whose real name is Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad) and armed groups in Iraq closely linked to al-Qaeda. Meanwhile, his younger brother was accused of playing an active role in the internet forums and chat rooms, posting numerous pictures and texts to promote the group’s message.

The two brothers had refugee status in Switzerland. The Swiss migration authority tried to strip them of their refugee status after they were reportedly arrested on unknown charges in Basel in 2008, but the case was still working its way through the court system.

Source: https://theinsightinternational.com/mismas/articles/misc2012/10/state6531.htm
31 October 2009
Italian Police Arrest Six Algerians Suspects in Terrorism Sting
The Italian finance police said that the latest anti-terrorism operation had led to the dismantling of an Algerian fundamentalist cell. Operation Tuareg was launched at dawn by Italian and Swiss police in 2003. Six arrest warrants were issued for members of the Islamic fundamentalist cell.
All six suspects were Algerian nationals charged with international terrorism. One of the suspects was arrested in Switzerland, near Zurich. Two others, who were already in prison in Italy, were notified of the new warrants. The other three were considered to be at large.
According to Italian investigators, the six men formed the core of an Italian cell of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which was Algeria’s largest outlawed rebel movement.
The police stated that this cell had financed and provided logistical support to Islamic terrorists responsible for massacres in Algeria.
The cell was suspected of financing groups that carried out attacks in Biskra and Chlef, two towns near Algiers, in January and March 2005. A total of 20 people died in these attacks and many more were injured.
Finance police were also able to trace funds sent to Algerian militants. They said these funds were collected in bazaars and shops managed by North Africans.
The leader was been Djamel Lounici, a 44-year-old member of Algeria’s outlawed Islamic Salvation Front who was arrested in Naples in 2005 for arms trafficking. Investigators also stated that Lounici was the contact for the Algerian militants’ European network, which extended to Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Britain and Spain.
Source: https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-2006-10-02-voa27/311523.html
09 October 2009
Physicist suspected of having links to al-Qaeda
Two French-Algerian brothers suspected of collaborating with al-Qaeda were arrested by French police on 8 October 2009 in the southeastern French town of Vienne. They were believed to be in contact with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Specifically, the pair were accused of passing information about potential terrorist targets in France to AQIM members. One of the brothers, aged 32, was a researcher at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). The other brother was 25 years old.

Since 2003, the 32-year-old suspect had been performing data analysis on one of the four major experiments at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, working as a postdoc at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). He was not a CERN employee, conducting his research under a contract with an external institute. His work did not bring him into contact with anything that could be used for terrorist purposes.

Sources: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/demographics/terror-suspect-connected-to-cern-project/65720 and https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/physicist-working-at-cern-arre/
11 December 2007
A Muslim Swiss citizen opened fire in the Islamic center in Crissier, Switzerland, where he wounded one person
A lone gunman – a muslim naturalised Swiss national with Kosovar origin – has used his military assault rifle – he completed his military service in Switzerland – to fire on a dozen fellow worshippers at an Islamic centre in western Switzerland, near the lakeside city of Lausanne, seriously injuring one. The man then drove to the Islamic centre in neighbouring Crissier, entered the centre at around 7.30pm and fired more than a dozen rounds towards a prayer room. A 23-year-old local man, described by police as a practising Swiss Muslim, was detained in connection with the attack. The man was a regular at the centre and confirmed he had used his own standard issue army rifle and ammunition, which members of Switzerland’s militia army have to keep at home.

Sources: https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/demographics/army-rifle-used-in-islamic-centre-shooting/6248078 and https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=1857194&language=en
21 June 2007
A couple was convicted for running Internet websites supporting terrorism
The Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona convicted Moez Garsallaoui and his wife, Malika al-Aroud, of running websites that supported al-Qaeda-linked groups and incited criminal acts and racial violence.

Garsallaoui, a Tunisian national, was sentenced to six months in prison, along with an additional 18-month suspended sentence. Al-Aroud, a Belgian of Moroccan origin, received a six-month suspended prison sentence. These sentences were considerably lighter than those demanded by the prosecution.

According to media reports, al-Aroud was the widow of a suicide bomber who was involved in the killing of the Afghan mujahedin leader Ahmad Shah Mas’ud in 2001.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/1077254.html and https://ctc.westpoint.edu/swiss-foreign-fighters-active-in-syria/
09 January 2004
Eight foreign nationals were apprehended and charged with terrorism
Eight foreign nationals were apprehended and charged with terrorism -related offences in five cantons – Vaud, Geneva, Aargau, Bern and Zurich – and remanded into custody. It was hypothesised that the individuals in question were Saudi nationals with alleged connections to al-Qaeda.
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland stated that the investigation was initiated on 20 May 2003 against an unspecified number of persons in the aftermath of the devastating triple terrorist attack on 12 May 2003 in Riyadh, which resulted in the deaths of 34 individuals, including one Swiss national and the nine perpetrators, and injuries to 200 people, among them approximately 20 Swiss citizens. The alleged offences were participation in and support for a criminal organisation, murder, criminal use of explosive materials and simple assault.

Source: https://www.swissinfo.ch/ita/terrorismo–otto-arresti-in-svizzera/3707722

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