Switzerland has a “small number of networks” that finance terrorist organisations
Keystone
The Swiss Office of the Attorney General is investigating 20 people for allegedly funding terrorism. Some have links to religious foundations or associations in Switzerland.
Six criminal proceedings are underway for “support of a criminal organisation”. They include people with ties to a foundation in canton Geneva and an association in Bern, according to the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper.
The developments were cited in a report compiled by the Financial Action Task ForceExternal link, an inter-governmental body charged with fighting money laundering and terror funding. Small religious foundations “pose a particular risk” in the financing of terrorist activities in Switzerland, according to the report.
The country has a “small number of networks” that finance terrorist organisations, according to the Financial Action Task Force report. There is no supervisory authority for non-profit organisations in Switzerland.
No proceedings have been opened against any associations or foundations, the attorney general’s office noted. While these organisations “play a role” in the wider context of terrorist financing, the authorities are only concerned with representatives or members at this stage, the office said.
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