Zurich: Arrest after death threat against pro-Israel city council candidate

The election campaign for the city presidency in Zurich is overshadowed by a serious incident shortly before the election Sunday. On Thursday, the police arrested a 31-year-old man from Montenegro who had made death threats on social media against FDP city presidency candidate Përparim Avdili.

According to the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the threats were made in connection with the war in Gaza. The Zurich cantonal police confirmed the operation and the arrest. The public prosecutor’s office initiated criminal proceedings against the man.

During the election campaign, Përparim Advidli, whose family comes from Albania, repeatedly emphasized his support for the Jewish community in the city of Zurich, which is threatened by increasingly aggressive anti-Semitism, and for Israel.

The likeable and popular 35-year-old FDP candidate is running an unusual campaign to win back the office of mayor for the Free Democratic Party after 36 years.