Another jihadist suspect set to lose Swiss passport 

The suspect was apparently arrested by Kurdish forces near Baghuz in northern Syria at the beginning to the year. Keystone/Ahmed Mardnli

Moves are underway to strip a Geneva-based woman suspected of supporting militant Islamic organisations of her Swiss nationality. 

The State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) launched proceedings against a woman with triple Swiss, French and Tunisian nationality, according to a note in the latest edition of the Federal GazetteExternal link. 

The 30-year old suspect apparently left Switzerland for Syria three years ago with her two children to join the Islamic State group. 

Reports say she was arrested by Kurdish forces near Baghuz in northern Syria at the beginning of this year. 

The Swiss authorities accuse the woman of participating in crimes committed abroad as part of terrorist activities, undermining Switzerland’s interests. 

Under the law, a dual citizen can be stripped of Swiss nationality if “his or her conduct is seriously detrimental to the interests or the reputation of Switzerland”, and this can include instances where the person has committed a serious crime in connection with terrorist activities or violent extremism. The suspect has 30 days to appeal against the procedure, according to a report by public radio RTS. 

Second case 

It is only the second such case in Switzerland in recent history. Last month, the SEM withdrew Swiss citizenship from a dual national of Turkish origin. He was found guilty of spreading propaganda and recruiting Jihadists in Switzerland. 

Another case, this one against a Swiss-Italian man, was dropped after authorities concluded that the suspect had probably died in Syria after joining Islamic State militants four years ago. 

The Swiss government said it identified more than a dozen dual nationals who allegedly committed terrorist activities. 

In March, it rejected calls to actively repatriate Islamic militants from Syria or Iraq. The justice ministry said jihadists should be tried under international legal standards in the country where they committed their crimes.