On Thursday, the regional court in Bern announced the verdicts in the trial against 22 members of motorcycle gangs. In some cases, prison sentences of several years are threatened – and renewed riots in downtown Bern. The most important facts about the process at a glance.
There is a rivalry between the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. The formation of Bandido offshoots has heightened tensions.
In May 2019, towards the evening in Bern-Belp, there was a mass brawl between hostile motorcycle clubs – the Hells Angels, the Bandidos and the Broncos. It was extremely brutal: Various knives, firearms, impact weapons and other dangerous objects were used, according to the indictment for the process. Several people involved suffered serious to life-threatening injuries. The court hearing began a month ago in the regional court of Bern-Mittelland. The verdict will be announced on Thursday.
22 people were charged, all with racketeering. The focus, however, is on two men who are accused of attempted murder and serious bodily harm. A third suspect is also on trial for aggravated assault. These three men belong to the Bandidos. They include the Bandidos’ security chief, who fired several shots, seriously injuring a member of the Hells Angels. However, the victim himself is accused of involvement in a scuffle.
According to the Bern public prosecutor’s office, the background is a turf war. That evening, the supporters and sympathizers of the Bandidos MC celebrated the founding of a local group based in Switzerland, a so-called chapter. The members of various chapters of the Hells Angels and the Broncos saw this as a provocation. They therefore gathered near the founding party, which the Bandidos noticed. Shortly thereafter, the situation escalated and the members of the three gangs attacked each other.
When the trial against the members of the biker gangs began at the end of May, around 200 members and sympathizers of the three clubs turned up in Bern and attacked each other again. Although the Bernese police were prepared, they only just managed to keep the gangs apart. Some of the gang members had traveled from abroad. Several of the accused in the Bern trial also come from different European countries.
Streets in downtown Bern were closed for hours and buses had to be diverted. Despite the massive police presence, the supporters of the rocker groups threw stones, bottles and other objects at each other. The police had to use water cannon to keep the Bandidos and Hells Angels at bay. There were also some disputes in court. The Bern police fear that such scenes will be repeated when the verdict is announced on Thursday.
The city of Berne’s security director therefore told various media that the police would be present on site with a prominent contingent. Strict security checks will also take place during the process itself on Thursday.
According to Bern security director Reto Nause, up to 400 Hells Angels and supporters gathered on the square in front of the riding school on Thursday morning. Some are masked. There is still nothing to see from the Bandidos.
According to the NZZ reporter on site, most of the bikes are probably from Switzerland. A wide variety of clubs are really gathered. So far the mood has been peaceful.
Eight years in prison is the sentence against the main defendant in the Bern trial of members of three motorcycle gangs. The court found the accused guilty of attempted possible premeditated premeditated homicide and racketeering. A second suspect is convicted of attempted assault and receives a prison sentence of 42 months.
The public prosecutor’s office had demanded prison sentences of 9.5 and 8.5 years for the two main accused. The third main person involved is to be behind bars for 4 years. Shorter and conditional prison sentences have been requested for the remaining accused. The defense pleaded for significantly lower penalties – for the main suspect, for example, a prison sentence of 30 months.
Last but not least, the length of time that the court plans for the pronouncement of the verdict is remarkable. Allocate at least three hours for this. It takes that long for the verdict to be presented in each individual case. And this despite the fact that most of the accused are charged with the same crime – namely brawl and aiding and abetting the brawl. The judgments can then be appealed to the Supreme Court by the accused and by the public prosecutor’s office.
In several European countries, the war between the biker gangs is carried out openly and sometimes with extreme brutality. The dispute in Belp is therefore a warning sign: it could indicate that the situation is also escalating in Switzerland. In fact, shortly before the beginning of the Bern court trial in Geneva, there was a shootout between hostile gang members. How dangerous the scene is, however, is not entirely clear. However, security experts warn that the networks could also establish themselves in this country.
In Switzerland, the Hells Angels in particular have made an appearance in recent years. According to the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol), the Hells Angels claim a superior position for themselves. Anyone who disregards the internal rules of this scene must expect repression. According to Fedpol, for several years it has been apparent that other rocker and rocker-like groups have formed branches in Switzerland or that such groups are newly founded in Switzerland. In most cases, however, these could not have established themselves and dissolved again.
There is also a rivalry between the Hells Angels and the Bandidos in Switzerland. The founding of Bandido offshoots have exacerbated tensions, according to Fedpol. The office has “knowledge of a single-digit number of incidents, some of which are criminally relevant, that are presumably attributable to this conflict”. At least as significant, however, is the fact that members of motorcycle clubs and biker gangs are involved in criminal business. According to Fedpol, groups that are also present in Switzerland are regularly the subject of proceedings for organized crime, narcotics, violence and other offences.
According to the Swiss Criminal Code (StGB), it is a criminal organization if its purpose is to commit violent crimes or to enrich oneself through criminal means. The classic example of a criminal organization is the mafia. The federal government is responsible for criminal prosecution in this area.
But according to Fedpol, the Hells Angels and similar gangs are not criminal organizations. The gangs are organized hierarchically, there are strict rules, the members support each other – and they are known to be involved in criminal business. But committing crimes is not the purpose of the groups, argues Fedpol.
For this reason, the trial against the members of the Bernese motorcycle gangs is taking place in the Bern-Mittelland regional court and not in the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona. Almost twenty years ago, the federal prosecutor’s office sought legal proceedings against the Hells Angels and carried out a large-scale raid on their premises in Zurich. The action is considered one of the biggest bankruptcies of the federal prosecutor’s office: only a few years later, there were a few and only mild judgments.