(Reuters) A man dubbed the “Emir of Winterthur” by Swiss media, described by prosecutors as a leading figure among Islamist militants in Switzerland, was sentenced to 50 months in prison on Friday for supporting and recruiting for Islamic State.
Prosecutors said the 34-year-old Swiss-Italian dual citizen had travelled to Islamic State-controlled areas of Syria in 2013, where he joined a combat unit aligned to the militant group.
Upon returning to Switzerland, he capitalised on his reputation as a warrior to motivate several people to join Islamic State, prosecutors said. They called him “a Salafist guiding figure in Switzerland” who liaised with several convicted Islamic State recruiters in Europe.
