Zurich court gives two far-right Junge Tat leaders suspended 12-month sentences

The verdict

The Zurich district court announced its judgment on Friday, 30 October 2026, in the case against six members of the far-right group Junge Tat. Its two leaders, Tobias Lingg and Manuel Corchia, aged 24 and 25, were convicted of, among other offences, discrimination and incitement to hatred. Each received a 12-month prison sentence, suspended for a probation period of four years, and each must also pay unsuspended fines. The sentences do not require either man to go to prison. The verdicts are not yet final and can be appealed to the Zurich Higher Court.

The other defendants

The remaining defendants received conditional fines, but reports differ on how many. Keystone-ATS and Keystone-SDA put the number at three, while SRF gives four. The group's only woman, who also stood trial, was acquitted of all charges. Prosecutors had asked for 15 months for each leader, six of them to be served behind bars, and conditional fines for the other defendants.

Prosecution demand15

Court sentence (suspended)12

Prosecution demand

15 months

Court sentence (suspended)

12 months

Data from the article text

The charges and the incidents

The charges included discrimination, incitement to hatred, disturbing freedom of religion, trespass and violation of the explosives law, according to Blick. The incidents date from 2022 to 2024 and took place in Zurich, Basel, Winterthur and St. Gallen, according to SRF. In June 2022 members disrupted a Pride service at the St. Peter and Paul church in Zurich and carried in a large wooden cross reading 'No Pride Month'. In October 2022 members interrupted a children's reading by drag artists at the Tanzhaus in Zurich and then continued their protest outside the building. Other alleged actions included banners and smoke flares on the roofs of Basel and Winterthur stations, and in August 2023 the removal of a 'Refugees Welcome' flag from a building facade in St. Gallen.

Defence and background

Most of the defendants denied the allegations and invoked freedom of expression. During the trial they refused to give evidence, and their lawyers asked for acquittals, arguing that the members had never been known for violence. The Neue Zürcher Zeitung reports that both leaders already had criminal records, including for a spring 2020 protest against a lecture at the Zurich University of the Arts, where they chanted racist and antisemitic slogans such as 'Heil Hitler'. The two men described those acts as youthful mistakes, a view the judge did not share. The trial opened in early September 2026, and the defendants entered the court under heavy police protection.

Outside the court

Protesters carrying LGBT and anti-fascist flags gathered outside the court before the verdict was announced, and chants were heard as the defendants arrived. The leaders spoke to reporters on the court steps. One of them said the charges fell simply within the bounds of freedom of expression.

What happens next

Because the verdicts are not final, the convicted men or the prosecution can take the case to the Zurich Higher Court. The leaders face a four-year probation period. The fines attached to the conditional sentences would only have to be paid if the court revokes the suspension, for example if the men commit new offences during probation.