Crime news
Youssef Siher
Crime news
Prosecutors Accuse Siher of Terror Plot; Wife Also Under Investigation Following Milan Unrest
The alleged mastermind behind the October 17 Movement declared, “Armored vehicles won’t stop us.” His wife is also under investigation.
Youssef Siher spent 12 hours at police headquarters, remaining silent as investigators questioned him about the October 17 Movement (M1710), the group at the center of an investigation into alleged subversive activity. Prosecutors suspect him of being the movement’s driving force. His wife, Sagia Hammoud, is also under investigation.
Investigators are examining Siher’s role in managing the group’s social media accounts, including those on Telegram and Instagram, and the messages circulated through them. Among the statements attributed to him is a defiant declaration directed at the authorities: “They didn’t stop us with laws. They won’t stop us with armored vehicles.”
The investigation is being conducted by Italy’s antiterrorism authorities, who are seeking to establish whether the movement’s activities went beyond political protest and amounted to a plan to undermine democratic institutions. Investigators are also looking into the group’s ideological influences, including the French protest movement and the Arab Spring.
A flyer titled “Safer in the Street” is among the materials under scrutiny. Investigators are working to reconstruct the movement’s organization, its objectives and the roles played by those suspected of directing its activities.
The inquiry comes amid unrest in Milan, where crowds gathered in Piazza del Duomo after calls circulated on social media. However, investigators have not established a link between Siher and the posts that brought people to the square.
Prosecutors are also assessing whether Siher poses a flight risk. His silence during the interrogation is part of the investigative record, but the case against him will depend on the evidence gathered by investigators and presented to the court.
His lawyer has commented on the case as the legal proceedings move forward. A hearing is expected to address the circumstances of his detention and the grounds for the investigation.
Separately, prosecutors in Genoa are investigating alleged financing of Hamas through charitable associations. That inquiry is distinct from the Milan investigation into the October 17 Movement.
