Authorities confirm three Swiss jihadists held in northeast Syria
The Swiss nationals had gone missing following a prison assault and breakout in the city of Hasaka, in north-eastern Syria.
Keystone / Ahmed Mardnli
Three Swiss terror suspects who went missing in north-eastern Syria in January are being held in detention camps run by Kurdish authorities, the Swiss foreign ministry has confirmed.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SRF/Keystone-SDA/sb
Português
pt
Autoridades confirmam três jihadistas suíços detidos na Síria
The three men, reportedly from Geneva, Lausanne and Orbe, went missing following a rescue attack in January by the Islamic State (IS) group on a jail in Hasaka in Kurdish-controlled Syria where they had been held.
However, the Swiss authorities say the three men – considered to be potentially dangerous – are now in Kurdish custody.
“It is good to know that they are in custody and therefore cannot try to return to Switzerland. This is exactly what Switzerland wants to prevent at all costs,” Johannes Matyassy, deputy state secretary at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, told Swiss public television SRFExternal link.
More
More
Swiss authorities lose trace of two jihadists in Syria
This content was published on
The foreign ministry says it has no information on the whereabouts of two terror suspects who had been detained in northern Syria.
In addition to the three imprisoned Swiss jihadists, there are two Swiss women in Kurdish camps for IS supporters – together with their children of school age.
Their fate remains unclear. In March 2019 the Swiss government decided on a strategy of not actively repatriating adult jihad fighters from Syria and Iraq, claiming motives of national security.
Authorities said the strategy was to prioritise legal proceedings in the countries where the jihadists had committed their crimes. Children can be repatriated in certain cases, such as the two half-sisters brought back to Geneva last year after having been taken by their mother to Syria in 2016.
Dual nationals who leave to fight for IS can meanwhile be stripped of their Swiss citizenship.
Thousands of foreigners including women and children had gone to Syria to live in Islamic State’s so-called caliphate until 2019, when US-backed Kurdish forces took the last pocket of Syrian territory from the jihadists.
In 2019, the Swiss government said some 20 Swiss nationals were being held in Syria and Iraq on terrorist charges.
More
More
Sisters repatriated to Switzerland from Syrian prison camp
This content was published on
Switzerland negotiates the repatriation of two girls, aged 15 and nine, from a Kurdish controlled camp in Syria.
This content was published on
The Ethos Foundation recommends that shareholders vote against all compensation-related items at the Annual General Meeting on March 7.
Top Swiss firms close to reaching gender quota in boards
This content was published on
The proportion of women on the boards of directors of the fifty largest listed companies in Switzerland currently stands at 28%.
Swiss committee wants to end government resignations during legislative term
This content was published on
Members of the Federal Council should no longer be able to leave office before the end of their term, according to a House of Representatives committee.
Swiss government seat: Ritter and Pfister nominated to succeed Amherd
This content was published on
Markus Ritter from St Gallen and Martin Pfister from Zug were officially nominated by the Centre Party on Friday to succeed Defence Minister Viola Amherd.
Top Swiss court rejects Russian request for administrative tax assistance
This content was published on
There is currently no reason to transmit banking information to the Russian Federation, the Swiss Federal Court has ruled.
After strike by radiologists, doctors demonstrate in Bern
This content was published on
Following a strike by radiology technicians in Fribourg, doctors, vets, dentists and chiropractors expressed their frustration on Friday outside parliament in the Swiss capital.
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
Swiss authorities lose trace of two jihadists in Syria
This content was published on
The foreign ministry says it has no information on the whereabouts of two terror suspects who had been detained in northern Syria.
Switzerland slammed for abandoning two minors in Syria
This content was published on
Switzerland is under pressure to repatriate two young Swiss girls living in a makeshift camp established in northeast Syria after the fall of the Islamic State group (ISIS). The United Nations human rights experts issued a statement on Thursday urging Switzerland to bring back two half-sisters, aged 8 and 14, who were allegedly abducted by…
Over 300 terror suspects refused entry to Switzerland
This content was published on
The Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) imposed 331 entry bans on people with suspected terrorist links during the 2016-2018 period.
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.