Switzerland: Man held over 'IS' and al-Qaeda 'media agency'

A Turkish citizen living in Switzerland was indicted on Tuesday for having supported terrorist groups, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) announced. 

The 26-year-old man was accused of supporting the so-called "Islamic State" (IS) and al-Qaeda via social media platforms as well as helping raise money for IS supporters in a prison camp in Syria so they could escape the camp.

The OAG accused the man, without naming him, of having encouraged a person who was a minor at the time to join "IS."

The person who was encouraged to join the group lived in Austria and was arrested by Austrian authorities shortly before his planned departure for Syria, details of which are not known.

The investigation was first opened in 2019.

Accused lived in Swiss northern town close to German border

The accused lived in the northern town of Schaffhausen, close to the German border, the indictment said.

The indictment accused the man of operating his own "media agency" to support the terrorist groups.

Federal prosecutors said he spent a considerable amount of time translating and editing corresponding propaganda material and distributing it via social media channels.

He also saved numerous files with videos and pictures showing illegal representations of acts of violence and had sent one such image to another person, according to the indictment.

The case has now been referred to the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, the OAG said.

Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher