Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland opens a criminal proceeding

Bern, 19.12.2015 - The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland, with the support of the Federal Office of Police fedpol, has opened a criminal proceeding against a member of the Board of Directors of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (ICCS), as well as against persons unknown, on suspicion of violation of Article 2 of the Federal Law of the prohibition of groups like Al-Qaïda, Islamic State and similar organizations.

The German citizen is accused of having presented his journey to embattled regions of Syria in a video for propaganda purposes, without having explicitly distanced himself from Al-Qaïda activities in Syria. In particular, the accused party is accused of having interviewed a senior member of the jihad umbrella organisation Jaysh al-Fath ("Army of Conquest"), of which the Syrian Al-Qaïda branch Jabhat al-Nusra ("Support Front") is also a member.

The criminal proceeding of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland was opened on 9 December 2015 on suspicion of violation of Article 2 of the Federal Law of the prohibition of groups like Al-Qaïda, Islamic State and similar organizations.

The opening of the criminal proceeding documents the rigorous prosecution brought against all persons in Switzerland who attempt to take part in jihad-motivated terrorism, or who support this by means of propaganda.

At the present time, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland leads, with the support of fedpol, 46 criminal proceedings in conjunction with the topic of jihad-motivated terrorism. This relates primarily to the suspected propaganda support of terrorist organisations. On 16 October 2015 the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland also has filed charges  against four Iraqi nationals aged 29 to 34 with the Federal Criminal Court for participating in or supporting a criminal organisation within the meaning of Article 260ter Swiss Criminal Code. They are being accused of preparing a terrorist attack amongst other things. In 2014, on the basis of a charge brought by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland with the Federal Criminal Court, two persons were also convicted of terms of imprisonment as well as to suspended terms on the grounds of having supported a criminal organisation as well as of having publicly incited violence (spreading propaganda for a terrorist network through the internet). 


Address for enquiries

André Marty, Head of Communications OAG, info@ba.admin.ch


Publisher

Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland
http://www.ba.admin.ch/

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-60101.html