Swiss suspect arrested over killing of Nordic tourists in Morocco
A Swiss-Spanish dual national has been arrested in Morocco on suspicion of aiding terrorists who beheaded a Danish and a Norwegian hiker in the Atlas mountains.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch with Keystone-SDA; ac/ug
Español
es
Detienen a suizo en relación con crímenes terroristas
The Swiss foreign ministry said it was in contact with the authorities in Morocco, Spain, Denmark and Norway to help in the case and exchange information.
The Federal Police Office (Fedpol) said on Monday that the suspect had a criminal record for a number of offences committed in Geneva between 2007 and 2013.
Convicted of several crimes, including drug abuse, theft and domestic violence, the suspect emigrated to Morocco in 2015, according to a police spokeswoman.
According to a statement by Morocco’s Central Bureau of Judicial Investigation, the accused was “steeped in extremist ideology” and is “suspected of having taught some of the people involved communication tools stemming from new technologies and of having trained them to shoot”.
He was allegedly part of an operation to recruit people to commit terrorist acts in Morocco.
A 24-year-old Danish student and her friend, a 28-year-old Norwegian woman, were killed on the night of December 16 in southern Morocco, where they were on holiday. Their bodies were discovered in an isolated area in the High Atlas, in an area popular with hikers. Both victims were beheaded.
18 arrests
The Moroccan authorities have already arrested 18 people for their alleged links with this double homicide designated as a “terrorist incident”.
The four main alleged perpetrators, arrested in Marrakech in the days following the double murder, belonged to a cell inspired by the ideology of the Islamic State group but “without contact” with representatives in Syria or Iraq, Moroccan counter-terrorism chief Abdelhak Khiam was quoted as saying.
One of them, a 25-year-old street vendor, is suspected by investigators of being the head of this “terrorist cell”. He is seen speaking in a video shot a week before the murder, in which the four main suspects pledge allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State.
So far, Morocco has been spared Islamic State-related terror attacks. However, it is no stranger to terrorism with major attacks in Casablanca (33 deaths in 2003) and Marrakech (17 deaths in 2011).
More
More
Jihad monitoring cases cross 600 mark
This content was published on
The number of cases referred to Switzerland’s jihad monitoring programme has slightly increased, statistics show.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
Young undocumented migrants gain easier access to vocational training
This content was published on
Rejected asylum-seekers and young undocumented migrants in Switzerland will have easier access to basic vocational training from June 1.
Migration: Swiss government wants to shorten reunification period for families
This content was published on
Family members of people temporarily admitted to Switzerland should in future be able to join them after two years instead of three.
This content was published on
2023 was a record year for the Rhaetian Railway in several respects. Never before has the narrow-gauge railway in Graubünden, eastern Switzerland, transported so many passengers and cars.
Swiss CFOs much more optimistic despite global uncertainty
This content was published on
The main concerns of business leaders in Switzerland are geopolitical uncertainty and the important trading partners Germany and China.
Record organ donation in Switzerland despite high rejection rates
This content was published on
More organ donations were recorded in Switzerland in 2023 than ever before. This was despite a high rejection rate of 58% by surviving relatives.
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.
Read more
More
Pictograms to advise on responding to terror attack
This content was published on
Eleven pictograms designed for schoolchildren by Zurich city’s Centre for the Prevention of Violence have attracted the attention of police authorities, according to the SonntagsZeitung newspaper. Their recommendations can be summarised as “run away, hide and sound the alarm”. FedPol spokeswoman Catherine Maret said that in the event of an attack in Switzerland, the federal…
This content was published on
Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga has presented a series of legal amendments to boost the fight against international terrorism.
Swiss government uncoordinated in terror simulation exercise
This content was published on
A simulation of terrorist acts that included a hostage situation at the UN, an attack on a railway station and a potential nuclear plant leak.
This content was published on
A Swiss man, part of a cycling group, was one of four people killed when a car ploughed into them in Tajikistan at the weekend.
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.