Eight members of the former An'Nur Mosque have been found guilty of threatening and illegally detaining two people who had informed a journalist of suspicious activities connected to the alleged radicalisation of youths. Penalties include a six to 18 months prison sentence for unlawful detention, coercion and threats.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/jdp
العربية
ar
إدانة ثمانية متهمين من المسؤولين في مسجد بفينترتور
In February 2017, nine adults and a 17-year-old were arrested for physically attacking and detaining two Muslims inside the mosque and threatening their families back in November 2016. The victims were believed to have given information to journalists about a preacher who called for non-practising Muslims to be killed.
On Tuesday, a Swiss court found eight of the 10 defendants guilty of carrying out the intimidation at the now-defunct mosque, which was based in the north-eastern city of Winterthur.
The defendants had argued during the trial, which lasted several days, that there had been no attack in the mosque. However, according to the presiding judge, the chronology of the processes in the mosque could be clearly traced thanks to statements by those involved and police call records.
The mosque has long been suspected of having links to radical Islamic movements. It has been in the headlines for allegedly radicalising young Muslims in the region and recruiting jihadist fighters – charges that it has strongly denied. In May 2017, the mosque closed because the rental contract for the premises was not renewed.
A year ago, the Ethiopian preacher at the centre of the controversy was found guilty of promoting violence by a Zurich court. He was sentenced to an 18-month suspended prison sentence and ordered to leave Switzerland.
Popular Stories
More
Culture
Documentary portrays Swiss teenagers forced to return to parents’ homeland
Switzerland condemned for deciding to deport gay Iranian
This content was published on
Switzerland violated the prohibition on inhuman treatment by considering that a gay Iranian could be returned to his country.
Gestational diabetes found to increase risk of adult-onset diabetes
This content was published on
A research team from the Lake Geneva region has identified persistent dysfunctions in glucose regulation in women with gestational diabetes. In the long term, this can increase the risk of adult-onset diabetes by up to ten times.
Swiss village must be evacuated by midday on Sunday
This content was published on
The village of Brienz-Brinzauls in eastern Switzerland, which is threatened by a rockfall, must be evacuated by 1pm on Sunday. All residents must leave the village.
This content was published on
A former judge of the Graubünden Administrative Court in eastern Switzerland has been found guilty of rape, sexual harassment and threatening a former trainee.
Costs and care time increase in Swiss retirement and nursing homes
This content was published on
In 2023 the costs of retirement and nursing homes increased by 5% compared to 2022 and those of assistance and care at home by 7%. Together, they amounted to CHF15 billion.
This content was published on
Almost half of the population in Switzerland shows clear to pronounced signs of smartphone addiction, according to a survey.
Swiss healthcare stakeholders want to save CHF300 million
This content was published on
The main players in the Swiss healthcare sector want to save around CHF300 million ($340 million) in healthcare costs a year from 2026.
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
Eight held over attacks at Swiss mosque
This content was published on
Nine adults and a 17-year-old had been arrested on Tuesday for physically attacking and detaining the two Muslims inside the mosque and threatening their families back in November 2016. The victims are believed to have given information to journalists about an imam who called for non-practising Muslims to be killed. One person has since been…
This content was published on
Keeping tabs on worshippers who may be problematic is not part of a mosque leader’s job, according to the president of the Swiss mosque that once hosted at least three jihadists.
This content was published on
The preacher was on trial for calling for the burning of Muslims who are not devout enough in their worship. Police arrested the cleric in October of last year, after receiving reports of the controversial sermon delivered at the An’Nur mosque in Winterthur, in north-eastern Switzerland. The man is also charged with distributing pictures of executions…
Controversial Swiss mosque to shut down after Ramadan
This content was published on
Atef Sahnoun, the president of the An’Nur cultural association that runs the mosque, confirmed the closure to the paper SonntagsBlick. 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. However, a temporary extension was obtained…
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.