Combating terrorism: Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland files indictment against one person
Bern, 18.07.2024 - The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has filed an indictment in the Federal Criminal Court against a 51-year-old Algerian national. It alleges that the suspect supported and participated in the proscribed terrorist group ‘Islamic state’ (IS). More specifically, he is alleged to have attempted to travel from Algeria via Turkey to Syria in order to join IS there as a combatant. After he was unsuccessful in doing this, the indictment states that he left Turkey to travel to Europe and to Switzerland, in order to network with other IS members and supporters and to operate on behalf of the IS. According to the indictment, he planned to commit a terrorist attack in the name of IS in Europe. In addition, he is accused of being in possession of prohibited images of acts of violence.
The OAG opened the related criminal proceedings in March 2022. The suspect was arrested in March 2022 and has been held in pre-trial detention until the end of 2023, after which he was in detention in anticipation of serving a custodial sentence until the current indictment. The OAG has now charged him with a violation of Article 2 of the Federal Act on the Proscription of the Groups ‘Al-Qaida' and ‘Islamic state' (IS) and Associated Organisations, participating in a terrorist organisation (Art. 260ter Swiss Criminal Code (SCC)) and possessing prohibited representations of acts of violence (Art. 135 SCC).
Participation in and support for the proscribed terrorist organisation ‘Islamic state'
The suspect is alleged to have been a supporter and member of the terrorist organisation IS. According to the indictment, in 2017 he attempted to travel from his home country, Algeria, via Turkey to reach IS in Syria, where he planned to join IS as a combatant.
After he failed in this plan, he is believed to have travelled in 2020 and 2021 from Turkey to Europe, claiming to be a refugee, reaching Switzerland in December 2021. In Switzerland he filed an application for asylum, which was rejected. He was ordered to leave Switzerland. Shortly thereafter he was arrested under a warrant issued by the OAG and placed in pre-trial detention. According to the indictment, both before and after his arrival in Switzerland he sought to network with other IS members and supporters in Europe and in particular in France, and to act as an IS operative. The OAG accuses him of pursuing a plan to commit a terrorist attack in Europe in the name of IS, alleging that he considered France as a possible target.
In addition, the OAG claims that the suspect indoctrinated various persons with the IS ideology. He did so apparently by sending over 100 videos, images and text messages that glorify IS via his Facebook accounts, with the aim of convincing the addressees of the ideology of IS, or of reinforcing their existing views. He is also alleged to have held chatroom conversations with several persons with the same aim.
Multiple counts of possessing prohibited representations of acts of violence
According to the indictment, the suspect had stored several files with prohibited representations of acts of violence on his mobile telephone, with the result that he is also charged with multiple counts of possessing prohibited representations of acts of violence.
From now on, the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona becomes responsible for answering any further media enquiries. As is customary, the OAG will announce the penalties that it is proposing at the main hearing before the Federal Criminal Court. The presumption of innocence applies until a legally binding judgment has been issued.
Original text of the press release in German
Address for enquiries
Communications Service of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, T +41 58 464 32 40, info@ba.admin.ch
Publisher
Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland
http://www.ba.admin.ch/
