Swiss federal prosecutors have officially charged an 18-year-old man they say had been actively plotting an Islamist-motivated knife attack in the country.
In a statement by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) on Thursday, the German-speaking Swiss national was charged with supporting the Islamic State, criminal preparatory acts with a view to committing murder, and producing images of violence.
Prosecutors say the teen had been radicalized by Islamists online. “The motive was Islamist,” noted federal prosecutor Stefan Blättler. “His aim was to carry out an attack.”
Investigators say the suspect had researched methods for carrying out an assault and planned to use a knife to embark on an indiscriminate jihadist stabbing spree. Authorities seized a knife that he had purchased online shortly before his arrest.
According to 20 Minutes news outlet, the suspect had also distributed IS propaganda videos on social media and supported the proscribed terror organization financially.
The teen had initially been arrested back in the spring of 2025. In December, he was released from custody under conditions, but remained under investigation. He has only now been formally charged.
His release was granted because the grounds for detention no longer existed, prosecutors said. It is unclear how this statement remains consistent with this week’s charges.
Little is known about the suspect; neither his name, hometown, nor his ethnicity has been released. Criminal proceedings are ongoing, and prosecutors are investigating whether other individuals may have been involved.
In an interview with Sonntagsblick back in October, Blättler warned that terror-related activities were increasing at an alarming rate across Switzerland. “We have over 140 ongoing investigations under the heading of terrorism, more than ever before. And that number continues to rise,” he said.
Authorities say the increasing number of investigations has strained resources for counter-terrorism efforts, and have repeatedly called for additional personnel and specialized prosecutors to deal with the growing workload. Blättler warned that many suspects in current investigations are young adults and described the trend as a broader societal challenge.
On the wider issue of gang violence and organized crime, he warned that “if we downplay the situation and don’t see it as so bad, then in 10 or 15 years at the latest we’ll have similar conditions to those in Sweden; a typical, terrible example.”
