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
