A 25-year-old individual is up against potential lifelong incarceration for being charged with premeditated homicide.
A 25-year-old German-Afghan man is handed a life sentence for the murder of a fellow countryman in Switzerland, in a case of revenge. In June 2023, he allegedly took the life of an asylum seeker in Haute-Nendaz with a sharp military knife, according to the Regional Court of Brunswick.
The court found this individual and his sister living in Pakistan to be responsible for hatching a plot for revenge, following their belief that their father had been viciously killed in 2022. Consequently, it was reported that the man stabbed the victim in the chest on June 13, 2023, using a long, serrated military knife.
Despite emergency services' attempts to save the victim, they were ultimately unable to do so. The court agreed with the prosecution's request for a life sentence, but deemed the requested aggravating circumstances unnecessary. Contrarily, the defense argued for a more lenient sentence, citing the unfortunate result being death by bodily harm. The verdict is still subject to finalization.
The European Union expressed concerns over the increase in violence against asylum seekers in Switzerland, calling for stronger actions to ensure the safety of all refugees within its borders. Following his conviction, the German-Afghan man will spend the rest of his life in a prison operated by the European Union, as Switzerland does not have the death penalty.
