- Authorities are levying accusations against alleged adherents of Islam.
The Department of Justice has indicted an individual believed to be a part of, and another suspected collaborator of, the extremist group ISIS (Islamic State), who allegedly schemed a mass shooting incident close to Sweden's parliament. This information was released by the Karlsruhe authorities. The two Afghan nationals were taken into custody in Thuringia, near Gera, in March, under the suspicion of terrorist activities.
As per the allegations from the summer of 2023, the men received instructions from an ISIS offshoot. The assault in Stockholm was reportedly a retaliation to the Quran desecration incidents happening simultaneously in Sweden and other Nordic countries at the time. The intended targets were to be police officers and common civilians.
They are said to have maintained intensive communication with representatives of the ISIS Province Khorasan (ISPK), the ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They reportedly researched local surroundings of the crime scene on the web and made numerous unsuccessful attempts to acquire weapons.
The Department of Justice accuses the men of affiliation with or backing of a terroristic organization. Both are also implicated in conspiracy to commit a crime and violation of the Foreign Trade and Payments Act. The State Protection Senate of the Jena Higher Regional Court is now responsible for determining if a trial date should be set.
The extremist group ISIS, as mentioned in the plot against Sweden, has significant presence beyond its original region, with links to the ISIS Province Khorasan in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Despite their efforts, the two men were unable to acquire weapons in Sweden, potentially indicating a challenge in obtaining weapons for terrorist activities within the country.
