The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Spain sinks Swiss plan to withdraw citizenship of terror suspect

Daniel D
Daniel D, his face blurred, was interviewed by SRF last year after his capture in Syria. SRF-SWI

Switzerland has been foiled in its desire to cancel the citizenship of a terror suspect currently being held in a jail in Syria. The migration office did not know that Spain has acted faster in withdrawing the passport of the dual citizen, reports Swiss public broadcaster SRF.

This means that Switzerland cannot also turn its back on the terror suspect, known as Daniel D, as it would leave him stateless.

A letter seen by SRF, dated mid-June, suggests that a months-long process by the State Secretariat for Migration to cancel Daniel D’s citizenship has been in vain. It appears that Spain stripped him of citizenship in 2015.

The Swiss migration office said it would not comment on individual cases. The Spanish embassy to Bern had previously told SRF that Spain had withdrawn citizenship, but the letter from the Swiss migration office now confirms that it has ended its own process.

Born in Geneva to Swiss and Spanish parents, Daniel D was dubbed “Switzerland’s most dangerous Jihadist” by counter-terrorism experts after leaving Switzerland in 2015 to join Islamic State. He was reportedly captured by Syrian forces in June of last year when he was aged 24.

The condition of Daniel D, also known by his alias Abu Ilias al-Swissri, is unclear as he has little contact with the outside world from his cell in Syria.

Although Spain and Switzerland cooperate on anti-terrorism measures, communication between the two countries on this case appears to have been limited.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Reduced fine for Credit Suisse in currency cartel

More

Reduced fine for Credit Suisse in currency cartel case

This content was published on The Court of Justice of the European Union has reduced the fine imposed on Credit Suisse from €83.2 million to €28.9 million, while confirming its involvement in a spot foreign exchange cartel.

Read more: Reduced fine for Credit Suisse in currency cartel case
The role of leader increases stress in animals too

More

Leadership also increases stress in animals

This content was published on A study conducted at the University of Zurich has shown that when animals make decisions for their group, their hearts beat faster.

Read more: Leadership also increases stress in animals
Aargau police continue to search for escaped prisoner

More

Swiss police still hunting handcuffed escapee

This content was published on A prisoner who escaped on Thursday in Baden, canton Aargau, is still on the run. The 23-year-old Albanian, who was in custody for burglary, was wearing handcuffs when he escaped.

Read more: Swiss police still hunting handcuffed escapee

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR