Several Swedish media outlets chose on Thursday morning to omit information that the perpetrator of the knife attack in Winterthur, Switzerland, reportedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the incident. In the reporting, the man was instead only described as a ‘Swiss man’—despite it later emerging that he had a Turkish background, dual citizenship, and connections to Islamist circles as well as sympathies for ISIS.
It was around 8:30 am when the attack occurred at the central station in Winterthur, Switzerland. In front of a group of children who were in the area, 31-year-old Nesip Dedeler ran around with a knife, shouted ‘Allahu Akbar,’ and attacked passersby.
When the news agency TT, whose bulletins are published by most major Swedish establishment media, reported on the terrorist attack, the incident was initially described as a Swiss man launching the attack.
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The so-called ‘Swiss man’ Nesip Dedeler is an immigrant from Turkey and obtained Swiss citizenship in 2009, which means he holds dual citizenship.
ISIS Connection
Swiss authorities describe the attack as an act of terrorism, and according to police, the suspect previously had connections to Islamist networks in the country.
Already in 2015, he was reported for violating the ban on the terrorist organization ISIS after spreading propaganda related to Islamic State.
Swiss media reporting indicates that Dedeler has long been known to authorities as an ISIS sympathizer. Among other things, he was reportedly active in the now-closed An’Nur Mosque, where he worked within a youth group.
The mosque became notorious following reports of extremist ties and calls for violence against so-called ‘bad Muslims.’ Several individuals from the mosque’s youth environment have later been prosecuted, and in some cases convicted, for Islamist-related crimes.
At the same time, it has come to light that Nesip Dedeler was recently under psychiatric care but was released the day before the terrorist attack.