Swiss trial against parents for supporting Islamic State begins

+ Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

The court has decided to continue the trial of the parents accused of supporting IS and to begin questioning the mother. The father, who is absent for health reasons, will be summoned to a later hearing. This will take place in at least ten days, as required by the court procedure.

The 60-year-old woman used to work in the hotel industry, but after an accident she now receives a full disability pension. Her relationship with her three sons, including the one who emigrated to Syria, is said to be “excellent”.

In 2015, her son reportedly said he was going on vacation and was “invited.” His mother claims she hasn't noticed any change in his behavior other than that he stopped eating pork and going to mosque. She claimed she knew nothing about the Islamic State or Syria until then.

+ Swiss Federal Prosecutor charges two people with terrorist financing

Mother and son initially spoke on the phone every day, but later less frequently. He told her that he wanted to come home, that he had gotten married and that the couple had a little daughter.

On Monday, the presiding judge presented transcripts of conversations in which the son spoke of wanting to blow himself up in Switzerland, as well as photos in which he posed armed as an IS fighter. The defendant claimed that he was forced to do so. “I don't know. He is my son. Maybe he was threatened.”

+ How the increased IS terror threat affects Switzerland

When asked about the payments of over 50,000 francs between 2016 and 2019, the mother stressed that she wanted to support her son, not Syria or the war. “I wanted him to be able to go with his wife and baby,” she said.

For this reason, the last payments of 40,000 francs were allegedly made while the son and his family were being held captive by Kurds.

“I am a mother. My son with a gun is not him,” said the defendant. “He could do no wrong, he was gentle. That is a false image. I cannot accept it when people say he is a terrorist.”

According to the mother, her son went to Syria against his will. “They must have threatened him that they would hurt me.” She concluded that without her money, her son would have been killed. And added that he did not intentionally cause harm. “He was deceived,” she said.

The case in Bellinzona, Canton Ticino, continues.

Translated from German by DeepL/sb

More

Swiss union calls for 4% wage increase to counter cost of living pressure

This content was published on

19 August 2024

The Swiss trade union federation Travail Suisse has called for a 4% wage increase this year to help workers cope with cost-of-living pressures.

Read more: Swiss union calls for 4% wage increase to counter cost of living pressure

More

Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer ends his national team career

This content was published on

19 August 2024

After a decade as Switzerland's No. 1 goalkeeper, Yann Sommer retired from the national team on Monday to concentrate on playing for Inter Milan.

Read more: Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer retires from the national team

More

Thousands attend the 200th anniversary celebration of the Swiss Shooting Sports Federation

This content was published on

19 August 2024

Over 20,000 shooting enthusiasts celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Swiss Shooting Sports Association in Aarau this weekend.

Read more: Thousands attend the 200th anniversary celebration of the Swiss Shooting Sports Federation

More

First trains travel through renovated Gotthard Base Tunnel

This content was published on

19 August 2024

The western tube of the Gotthard Base Tunnel has been successfully tested. The railway tunnel was badly damaged a year ago by a derailed freight train.

Read more: First trains travel through renovated Gotthard Base Tunnel

More

The 77th Locarno Film Festival attracted 152,000 cinema fans

This content was published on

19 August 2024

Around 152,000 film fans flocked to the 77th Locarno Film Festival, which ended on Saturday – an increase of 3.5 percent compared to the previous year.

Read more: 77th Locarno Film Festival attracted 152,000 film fans

More

SWISS passengers stranded in Kazakhstan flown to Zurich

This content was published on

19 August 2024

Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) has repatriated 331 passengers who were stranded in Kazakhstan following an incident at Astana Airport on Saturday.

Read more: SWISS passengers stranded in Kazakhstan flown to Zurich

More

Another mountaineer dies on the Matterhorn in southern Switzerland

This content was published on

19 August 2024

A mountaineer died on Friday while descending the Matterhorn when he fell 800 meters onto a glacier.

Read more: Another mountaineer dies on the Matterhorn in southern Switzerland

More

Doubts about Swiss railway expansion

This content was published on

18 August 2024

Opinions differ on the expansion of the Swiss rail network and better maintenance of the existing infrastructure.

Read more: Doubts about Swiss railway expansion

More

According to newspaper reports, thousands more jobs could be cut at UBS

This content was published on

18 August 2024

UBS is ahead of its cost-cutting plan but may need to cut more jobs to meet final targets.

Read more: Newspaper reports: Thousands more jobs at UBS could be cut

More

Cult actor Alain Delon dies at the age of 88

This content was published on

18 August 2024

The French actor, who also held Swiss citizenship, died in his home in France.

Read more: Cult actor Alain Delon dies at the age of 88