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Swiss woman on trial over ‘Daesh’ knife attack

A Swiss woman faces trial Monday (August 29) accused of having tried to slit the throats of two women in a department store in the name of the Daesh jihadist group, the AFP reported, the Arab news said.
It said, the 29-year-old is accused of having committed a “terrorist act” in the attack in the plush Manor store in Lugano in southern Switzerland’s Ticino region on November 24, 2020.
One of the two victims suffered a serious neck injury. The second sustained wounds on one hand and managed, with others, to control the assailant until the police arrived.
The trial takes place at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona in Ticino.
According to the indictment issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), the accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, “acted wilfully and with particular ruthlessness.”

“She brutally attacked her randomly-selected victims with a knife, with the aim of killing them and thereby spreading terror throughout the population on behalf of Daesh, triggering widespread reports in the media and thus propagating Daesh ideology,” according to the OAG.
The woman was known to the police.
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After “falling in love” over social media in 2017 with a jihadist fighter in Syria, she had attempted to travel to the war-torn country to meet him, but was stopped by Turkish authorities at the Syrian border and sent back to Switzerland, it is alleged.
Police said at the time that she was then admitted to a psychiatric clinic.
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The suspect is primarily charged with attempted murder and violation of laws against association with Al-Qaeda, Daesh and related Islamist groups.
She is also charged with unlawful prostitution between 2017 and 2020.
The OAG stressed that the presumption of innocence applies until a legally binding judgment has been issued.
The verdict is due on September 19.
The defense is expected to rely on the woman’s mental state to refute the alleged terrorist motive.
The alleged assailant had converted to Islam, according to the 24 Heures newspaper.
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Switzerland has never experienced a large-scale jihadist attack, but two knife attacks took place in 2020.
A few weeks before the Lugano incident, a young Turkish-Swiss national, who had sought to travel to Syria in 2019, fatally stabbed a passer-by in a street in Morges in western Switzerland.
According to the Federal Intelligence Service, the terror threat level is still considered high in Switzerland.
“We find that the individuals who take action are radicalized people who grew up in Switzerland without ever having been to a conflict zone,” the federal police told AFP.
“They are becoming radicalized on the Internet, mostly in chats and closed forums, but also in groups and associations. This is what is called ‘homegrown’ terrorism,” it said.
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According to the police, stabbings are not a new modus operandi, but their incidence has increased in recent times.
“The attacks of November 2020 in Lugano and September 2020 in Morges are proof of this, as are those abroad: for example, the attack on Salman Rushdie. This is what we call ‘low cost’ terrorism, implying little preparation and few resources.”
According to Christina Schori Liang, an expert on terrorism at the Geneva Center for Security Policy international foundation, this methodology “does not necessarily require large attacks, just enough to instill fear and terrorize the public.”
Source: arabnews
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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