Swiss woman indicted for jihadist terror stabbings in Lugano
The stabbings took place just after 2pm at the Manor department store in Lugano on November 24, 2020.
Keystone / Pablo Gianinazzi
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has filed an indictment against a Swiss woman who attacked two people with a knife in a department store in the Swiss city of Lugano in 2020.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/sb
The 29-year-old, who lives in canton Ticino in Italian-speaking southern Switzerland, has been charged with attempted murder and violation of the Al-Qaeda/IS Act, the OAG saidExternal link on Wednesday.
It claims the suspect “intended to kill her victims and to commit a terrorist act on behalf of Islamic State (IS)”.
According to the indictment, the suspect “acted wilfully and with particular ruthlessness”.
“She brutally attacked her randomly selected victims with a knife, with the aim of killing them and thereby spreading terror throughout the population on behalf of the “Islamic State” (IS), triggering widespread reports in the media and thus propagating IS ideology,” it stated.
One of the two victims sustained serious neck injuries in the attack. The second, helped by others at the scene, overpowered the suspect and detained her until the police arrived.
The woman has been held in custody since her arrest on November 24, 2020, the day of the attacks. She has also been charged with unlawful prostitution.
The main hearing will take place at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, canton Ticino.
Alleged jihadist ties
Police investigations in 2017 revealed that the woman had formed a relationship via social media with a jihadist fighter from Syria and had tried to meet him in Syria.
At the time, Turkish authorities turned her back from the border to Syria when she tried to travel there to meet the man and returned her to Switzerland, the police said.
It said the woman was suffering from mental health problems. After returning to Switzerland, she was admitted to a psychiatric clinic.
The last Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) annual security report, published in June 2021, said the terrorist threat in Switzerland “remains at a heightened level”.
It is mainly determined by jihadist actors, principally by lone perpetrators acting autonomously, increasing numbers of whom have psychological problems, the report said.
“The killing in Morges on September 12, 2020, and the attack in Lugano on November 24, 2020 were both inspired by the jihadist movement. In both cases, knives were used and the perpetrator’s distressing personal situation and psychological problems played a role,” it said.
More
More
Assailant in Swiss knife attack was jihadist, say police
This content was published on
A woman has been arrested in Lugano after injuring two other women with a knife in a suspected terror attack at a department store.
This content was published on
Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled. Switzerland remains by a large margin the European champion of train travel, both in terms of the number of journeys per person and the number of kilometres travelled.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
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.
Security services highlight greatest threats to Switzerland
This content was published on
Pandemics, rivalries between global powers, cyberattacks, jihadist terrorism and extremist violence are among the main threats to Swiss security.
Assailant in Swiss knife attack was jihadist, say police
This content was published on
A woman has been arrested in Lugano after injuring two other women with a knife in a suspected terror attack at a department store.
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.