Convicted Swiss IS supporter charged with further offences
The Swiss resident has already been convicted for helping Islamic State in Syria.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
A 25-year-old man, already convicted in Switzerland for supporting banned Islamic terrorist groups, is now accused of being a recruiter, propagandist and fundraiser for Islamic State and al-Qaeda.
This content was published on
1 minute
swissinfo.ch/mga
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) announced further charges on Monday against the suspect who had been released from custody in 2020 for original offences.
The man had been convicted for breaching anti-terror laws after travelling to Syria to serve with IS. “The suspect exploited the prestige he had gained as a returnee from IS territory in Syria,” the OAG stated.
Since being released from prison under supervision, the man is alleged to have spread IS propaganda, including videos depicting violence, in an effort to find new recruits.
He is also charged with raising CHF9,000 ($10,000) to support families in Turkey of killed IS fighters.
Furthermore, the man is alleged to have fraudulently received CHF15,000 in welfare payments by claiming a fake accident.
The suspect will appear at the Federal Criminal Court at an unspecified date to face charges of being the ringleader of a group of IS sympathisers in the Zurich region.
“The OAG alleges that he strengthened the beliefs of various members this group that they should support IS, reinforced the group’s community spirit, and attempted to enlist new members and to enlarge the group of IS followers.”
Popular Stories
More
Workplace Switzerland
What lies ahead for Switzerland: an economic outlook for 2025
Have you heard something about Swiss diplomacy that you’d like us to fact check?
Not all information circulating about Switzerland’s foreign relations is accurate or well understood. Tell us what you'd like us to fact check or clarify.
Credit Suisse Nazi ties ‘ran deeper than thought’: media report
This content was published on
Credit Suisse is alleged to have withheld details of its historic links with World War II-era Nazi clients, says the Wall Street Journal.
Swiss man faces life imprisonment after Australia drugs arrest
This content was published on
Swiss man, 21, accused of attempting to smuggle 25 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of CHF4.5 million into Australia.
Swiss insurer Helvetia says 500 jobs affected by cost-cutting
This content was published on
Some 500 jobs, including 200 to 250 in Switzerland, are affected by the new operational efficiency measures recently announced by insurer Helvetia.
This content was published on
Significantly fewer new cars were sold in Switzerland in 2024 than the previous year as demand for electric cars and plug-in hybrids declined.
Three Swiss brands among world’s 100 most valuable firms
This content was published on
Three Swiss firms made it into the 2024 top 100 most valuable companies in the world, despite Roche, Nestlé and Novartis falling down the rankings.
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
Jihadist attacker gets 20 years for murder
This content was published on
The Federal Criminal Court has handed down a 20-year prison sentence to a Turkish-Swiss man who stabbed a Portuguese man to death.
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.
Islamic State suspects arrested during Swiss police raids
This content was published on
Two suspected members of Islamic State have been arrested in Switzerland as part of a series of coordinated police raids in western Switzerland.
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.