Detention for Four Men Suspected of Terrorism
Published: Monday, Aug 14th 2023, 10:00
Updated At: Friday, Oct 13th 2023, 14:12
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Four men from Syria have been arrested in the Swiss cantons of Vaud and Neuchâtel on suspicion of supporting the Al-Nusra Front, a Syrian branch of the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda. The Bern Court of Compulsory Measures approved the request of the Federal Prosecutor's Office for the men to be placed in pre-trial detention. The suspects, aged 28, 49, 53 and 57, are accused of supporting or participating in a criminal organisation and violating the ban on Islamist terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (IS) and related organisations. The Federal Office of Police and the two cantonal police forces conducted seven house searches in connection with the arrests. The Federal Prosecutor's Office opened the proceedings against the men between January and October 2022. The UN Security Council has classified the Al-Nusra Front as a terrorist organisation. It is fighting in the Syrian civil war against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, as well as against the Kurds and the Free Syrian Army. Meanwhile, it is said to have distanced itself from the Al-Qaeda network. The suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The Bern Court of Compulsory Measures has imposed pre-trial detention on the four men. The Federal Prosecutor's Office has been in contact with several other countries during the investigation.nnnnnnnn
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