Trial against six members of "Junge Tat" for racist and homophobic actions

Since the start of the trial, the group has been staging itself as a persecuted political movement. In front of the courthouse and on social media, the accused present themselves as members of a youth culture that merely provokes but does not commit punishable acts. Observers view this appearance as a deliberate strategy to politicize the proceedings and generate sympathy.

Fee from public funds

According to the French online media outlet Médiapart, one of the two leaders of "Junge Tat" received a fee of 2,650 euros for film recordings at an event of a foundation associated with the right-wing faction in the EU Parliament. The funds are said to come from public tax revenues. This circumstance adds additional explosiveness, since the group is simultaneously prosecuted by the state and, according to critics, has indirectly profited from public funds.

At the center of the proceedings are specific incidents, including actions in the Zurich area, in Winterthur, and in Basel. The prosecution accuses the defendants of having deliberately intimidated and insulted people with a migration background as well as homosexual persons. Several civil society organizations have joined the proceedings as co-plaintiffs in order to strengthen the perspective of those affected.

Known names and connections

The group "Junge Tat" had previously attracted attention repeatedly through provocative appearances and videos in which it staged itself as a patriotic youth movement. Observers note that the group deliberately seeks media attention and choreographs its appearances. Within the right-wing scene in Switzerland, it is considered a small but loud actor that maintains connections to the Young SVP and other circles.

Several individuals are known by name in the proceedings, including Manuel Corchia and Tobias Lingg. According to those familiar with the scene, they count among the inner leadership circle of the group. Their defense attorneys emphasize that their clients have neither used violence nor called for violence. This account stands in contradiction to the statements of some witnesses, who report intimidation and targeted provocations.

Explosiveness for the Swiss political landscape

At the start of the hearing, the judges and the prosecution made clear that they would not regard the political self-presentation of the defendants as a mitigating circumstance. The chamber announced that it would review the evidence independently of the group's public staging. Verdicts are expected in several weeks, as a large number of witnesses and pieces of evidence must be examined.

The case casts a spotlight on the handling of young groups from the right-wing extremist spectrum in Switzerland that are violence-oriented or violence-adjacent. Experts in extremism research point out that such groups often attempt to use criminal proceedings as a stage for their propaganda. The current proceedings in Zurich are considered one of the most high-profile trials of this kind in several years.

The SVP has so far not officially commented on the specific allegations against members of the group, who are said to partly have connections to the Young SVP. Party exponents point to the principle that criminal allegations must be assessed individually and not against a party. Critics, however, accuse the SVP of not drawing the line sufficiently consistently against violence-adjacent groups in its environment.