Abu Ramadan will have to stand trial in a district court, the Bern cantonal prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.
The controversial imam of a mosque in the town of Biel/Bienne is accused of inciting hatred against people from other religious groups and nationalities, notably Christians, Jews and Hindus as well as Russians.
The 68-year-old Libyan national is also accused of claiming welfare payments despite having an income from organising pilgrimages for Muslims.
He reportedly received about CHF590,000 ($652,000) in benefits between 2003 and 2017.
Ramadan has denied any wrongdoing, saying his sermons have been misinterpreted. He faces deportation from Switzerland if found guilty.
He was granted asylum in Switzerland in 1998 but lost that legal status after it was discovered that he received a valid Libyan passport in 2013.
It took the cantonal prosecutors nearly four years to conclude its preliminary investigation, including the translations of his sermons from Arabic into German.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss Politics
Why cars still reign supreme in ‘rail-nation’ Switzerland
Swiss central banker wants to boost equity to head off risks
This content was published on
Equity levels at the Swiss National Bank (SNB) are much too low for the risks its large balance sheet poses, according to Martin Schlegel.
Beer sales in Switzerland watered down by bad weather
This content was published on
The past brewing year fell through in Switzerland, partly due to the bad weather. Beer sales shrank again. For the first time, per capita consumption fell below the 50 liter mark.
Compensation for Syrian after pregnant wife denied help on Swiss train
This content was published on
Switzerland’s Federal Court has partially upheld the appeal of a Syrian family being deported from Switzerland to Italy in 2014. The man now also receives compensation.
Swiss-EU negotiations: Cassis to meet Sefcovic in Bern
This content was published on
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet the Vice-President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, in Bern on Wednesday.
Heavy snowfall in Switzerland causes traffic chaos and accidents
This content was published on
The heavy snowfall late on Thursday and during the night into Friday led to traffic chaos and many accidents in many regions of Switzerland.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Switzerland investigates Muslim preacher over welfare fraud
This content was published on
The public prosecutor in Bern opened a criminal investigation in early 2019 after the 66-year-old preacher was denounced by the municipality of Nidau, according to Swiss media reports. He is suspected of committing fraud by unlawfully obtaining social benefits or securing welfare through the omission of facts. The case was brought to light by media…
Bern opens criminal proceedings in Muslim hate preacher case
This content was published on
A judicial enquiry has been opened in Bern against Muslim preacher Abu Ramadan, who allegedly delivered a sermon replete with hate speech in 2017.
Muslim preacher also delivered ‘hate’ sermons in Libya
This content was published on
SRF and the Tages Anzeiger newspaper first reported on Ramadan’s sermons in August, having seen video footage of his preaching at the Ar’Rahman mosque in canton Bern. “Oh Allah, I beg you to destroy the enemies of our religion. Destroy the Jews, Christians, Hindus, Russians and the Shia,” he is heard saying. Now, the same…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.