Echo

Dimitri dies at the age of 80

He was Switzerland’s most famous clown. A whole generation grew up with his mimes and beaming smile. Dimitri took to the stage for the first time in 1959 with a solo act but achieved his major breakthrough with guest performances at the Circus Knie during the 1970s. The trained potter was also famous for his own theatre and the “Accademia Teatro Dimitri” theatre school in Ticino. He gave an extensive interview to “Swiss Review” last winter. Dimitri seemed on the ball, sharp-witted and full of vigour, talking about a film project without dialogue that tells the story of a station master called Molinari. It did not come to fruition. Dimitri passed away peacefully on the evening of 19 July after a performance. He was 80 years of age.

First arrests of returning jihadists

The first returning jihadists have been arrested in Switzerland. After a first case in June, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland arrested a further returnee, a 29-year-old with dual Swiss and Tunisian citizenship, at Zurich airport in August. He was from French-speaking Switzerland and flew back to Switzerland from Turkey. He now faces charges for infringement of the ban on IS and for supporting a criminal organisation. The latest figures released by the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) indicate that the number of travelling jihadists recorded since 2001 stands at 77. The number of those returning reached 13 as at the end of July, according to the FIS.

Bulgaria honours Marc Lettau

The “Swiss Review” journalist and editor Marc Lettau has been presented with the “golden laurel branch” by the Bulgarian foreign ministry. The Bulgarian embassy in Switzerland paid tribute to his major contribution to Bulgarian democracy through his projects. The award was presented as a mark of gratitude and in recognition of his efforts. Lettau first visited Bulgaria as an orienteer 25 years ago. He then supplied food and medicine for local people through his Variant 5 association, helped out in nurseries, established dental practices, supported the fight against tuberculosis locally and set up media projects for journalists. Marc Lettau and his family now spend around two months a year in Bulgaria.