Zurich court hears case against six Junge Tat members

The District Court of Zurich began proceedings on Friday against six members of the far-right group Junge Tat, SRF reported. The case centres on alleged offences committed during protests and disruptive actions in Zurich, Basel, Winterthur and St Gallen between 2022 and 2024.

Prosecutors accuse the defendants of crossing criminal boundaries during several actions. For the two main defendants, they are seeking prison sentences of 15 months, including six months without suspension. The defendants deny most of the allegations and have invoked freedom of expression.

The charges include discrimination and incitement to hatred, disruption of religious freedom and criminal damage. The group is also accused of mocking a Pride service in Zurich and disrupting a drag reading for children.

Additional charges relate to clashes at a 2022 demonstration in Zurich and banner actions in several cities. They include trespassing, coercion, breach of the peace, violations of the ban on concealing one’s face, and banner and protest actions on buildings. Prosecutors view the allegations as evidence of a repeated pattern of legal violations.

One defendant told the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper that the prosecution was politically motivated by the left and that the sentences sought were disproportionate to what he called minor offences.

Junge Tat was founded in 2020 and is classified by experts as part of the New Right. The group opposes, among other things, migration and LGBTQ issues, and has a strong presence on social media. SRF extremism editor Daniel Glaus said the trial could give the group another opportunity to seek attention, while a conviction might serve as a warning to potential recruits or their parents.