SwitzerlandÂ’s first Internet terrorism trial opened on Wednesday with the prosecution accusing two Muslims of running web sites that supported Al Qaeda linked groups and showed terror executions. The two suspects - Moez Garsallaoui, a Tunisian based in Switzerland, and Malika El Aroud, the Belgian-born widow of an Al Qaeda suicide bomber - appeared in the high security courtroom.
They were accused of running web sites showing the slaying of hostages and giving details of bomb making and carrying out attacks. The suspects had been detained in February 2005 during anti-terror raids in two Swiss states, the federal criminal court said. The presentation of arguments in trial in SwitzerlandÂ’s federal criminal court is scheduled to last up to two days.
According to the indictment, Garsallaoui, the 39-year-old main defendant, is accused of running different web based discussion forums that were used by terrorists for information sharing.
The sites also were used to publicise claims of responsibility for attacks and threats against western countries.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office said a forum on one of the sites, called “Islamic-minibar,” had been used to publish letters claiming responsibility for a July 2004 suicide bomb attack in Pakistan. Swiss media reported two years ago that the beheading of American engineer Paul M Johnson, Jr in Saudi Arabia was one of a number of executions aired on the sites.
El Aroud, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan descent, has been charged as a co-defendant for operating a jihadi web site. The 48-year old woman is the widow of one of the suicide attackers who killed anti-Taliban warlord Ahmed Shah Massoud two days before the 9/11, according to Swiss Federal Police. Swiss authorities shut down all the web sites in 2005.