Zurich court sentences man who attacked a Jew to one year in prison
Keystone-SDA
A Swiss teenager has been sentenced to one year in prison for attempted murder after stabbing an Orthodox Jew in Zurich in 2024.
However, the prison sentence has been suspended so the youth can be placed in a care facility for therapy. In his summary, the judge stated: “Killing Jews simply because they are Jews is unscrupulous.” The court acquitted the defendant of making repeated threats.
The Swiss national, who was 15 at the time and of Tunisian descent, seriously injured an Orthodox Jew with a knife on a public street in the city of Zurich in March 2024. He is alleged to have previously attempted to break into a synagogue with the intention of killing Jews.
The teenager is said to have become radicalised via the internet and to have declared his allegiance to Islamic State.
According to the indictment, the Youth Prosecution Service charged the defendent with multiple counts of attempted murder, supporting a criminal organisation, and incitement to discrimination and hatred. It sought a one-year prison sentence and called for various protective measures.
The defence lawyer called for a conviction for attempted murder rather than murder. He argued that his client should be acquitted of the charge that he had intended to murder other people.
He requested that the defendant be sentenced to a six-month prison term, which he would not have to serve. The court should order personalised support and outpatient treatment.
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Swiss youth to face trial after Jewish man stabbed
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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.
