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Court tightens verdict against jihadist propaganda

Federal Criminal Court building in Bellinzona
The Criminal Court in Bellinzona renders decisions on indictments for crimes that by law come under federal jurisdiction and adjudicates complaints against the rulings of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland. Keystone

The Federal Criminal Court has sentenced a Swiss resident to pay a CHF7,200 ($7,200) suspended fine for spreading propaganda for the Islamic State (IS) group.

In the verdict announced on Wednesday, the court increased the fine by CHF1,400 compared to a previous ruling by the Office of the Attorney General in February.

The 47-year-old defendant of Turkish origin was found guilty of putting online several videos and photos of banned IS propaganda showing scenes of an execution and torture, between September 2016 and February 2017.

He had appealed against the first verdict and his lawyer on Wednesday announced he would take the case to the Supreme Court.

The man, who denied the charges, claims the videos were meant to have a deterrent impact. His home in the city of Lugano was searched by police in May 2017.

In June, a board member of the Islamic Council of Switzerland (ICCS) has been given a suspended prison sentence of 20 months for illicit propaganda for al-Qaeda and related organisations. Two other senior ICCS members were acquitted.

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Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga talks to the Swiss press about the proposal to tighten anti-terror laws.

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Cabinet proposes tightening anti-terror laws

This content was published on The Swiss government has launched a consultation process aimed at tightening laws to impose tougher penalties against terrorists and supporters.

Read more: Cabinet proposes tightening anti-terror laws

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