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Two young Swiss charged for joining IS in Syria

image of destruction in Syria
The two Swiss went to join Islamic State in Syria in 2014 when they were under 18. Keystone

Two young people from the Swiss town of Winterthur have been charged in connection with going to fight in Syria with Islamic State. 

A Zurich canton juvenile judge charged the two on Thursday with breaking the federal law that bans membership of the Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (IS) jihadist groups. 

The two went to join IS in Syria in 2014 and were arrested on their return to Switzerland when they were aged 16 and 17. A judicial investigation was opened in December 2015. 

Both of the accused are now over 18 but they will be tried for crimes committed before they reached the age of majority, the Zurich juvenile judge said on Friday. 

The case has now been sent to the Winterthur juvenile court. Procedures are to take place behind closed doors as part of protection measures. No further details were given about the charges or the sentence requested.

+ Read more about jihadist recruitment in Switzerland


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