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The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland indicts young Swiss man for planning a trip to join the jihad

Swiss Government

Press release
Published on 14 April 2025

Bern, 14.04.2025 — The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has filed an indictment against a 21-year-old Swiss citizen in accelerated proceedings before the Federal Criminal Court. The defendant is suspected of having supported the proscribed terrorist group 'Islamic state' (IS), in particular by planning a trip to Somalia in order to join IS there. He is also alleged to have sent IS propaganda material to various recipients and to have possessed depictions of violence.

The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland accuses the defendant, who resides in the canton of Basel-Stadt, of having been an IS follower from 2023 at the latest and of having sent IS propaganda material to several persons via various communication channels. He allegedly decided to join IS in April 2024 at the latest. To this end, the accused is alleged to have actively contacted IS recruiters and to have maintained close exchanges with them for several months. The recruiters are alleged to have chosen Somalia as the destination and to have organised the accused's trip. This journey is alleged to have been thwarted by his arrest on 9 July 2024, ordered by the OAG and carried out by fedpol with the support of the cantonal police of Basel-Stadt. The accused is also suspected of having produced several video files containing extreme depictions of violence in 2024. At the time of his arrest, he was allegedly in possession of twenty other depictions of violence.

Additional charges

According to the indictment, when arrested on 9 July 2024, the young man was also in possession of prohibited pornography. Furthermore, during a search of his home, a soft-air weapon was seized; under the applicable provisions of the Weapons Act, the acquisition and possession of this type was illegal. In addition, he is alleged to have committed a burglary with an accomplice in a shop in Basel in January 2021.

Measures to prevent terrorist activities have been ordered

The accused is currently at liberty. On the basis of the Federal Act on Measures to Safeguard Internal Security (LMSI), fedpol has ordered measures to prevent terrorist activities at the request of the competent authorities. This is an administrative measure.

From the time of the indictment, the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona will be responsible for providing further information to the media. The presumption of innocence applies until a legally binding judgment is handed down.

Original text of the press release in German.