Crime news
Youssef Siher
Crime news
Who Is Youssef Siher, the 30-Year-Old Accused of Leading the October 17 Movement?
Accused of incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes following unrest in Milan, Siher allegedly used a Telegram group with 10,000 members to mobilize support. Italy’s Interior Minister described him as close to pro-Palestinian circles.
The alleged leader of the October 17 Movement has been identified as Youssef Siher, a 30-year-old Italian of immigrant background who lives in the province of Brescia. The group emerged online after demonstrations that escalated into violence and looting. Investigators say it sought to mobilize further unrest in Italian cities. Its Telegram channel attracted as many as 10,000 members.
Police tracked Siher down at an apartment in Milan’s Corvetto neighborhood, and prosecutors subsequently ordered his detention. He is accused of incitement to commit crimes, aggravated by the use of computer systems and alleged terrorist intent, as well as of promoting organized violence at public demonstrations.
In a post on X, Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi described Siher as “a 30-year-old close to pro-Palestinian circles, with ties to activist groups, a freelance journalist who has worked with a well-known national newspaper and a major research institute.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Siher earned a degree in communications and a master’s degree from the University of Milan, where he also served on the academic senate. In 2024, he completed an internship at the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI). According to the institute’s website, his academic work examined the links between 20th-century Islamic political ideologies and the early political experiences of Islam.
After his internship, Siher worked as a freelance journalist for Il Fatto Quotidiano, covering North Africa, the war in Sudan and the Middle East. In 2022, he also wrote an article for Il Foglio.
Defense Minister Guido Crosetto described Siher as someone who “moved in the upper echelons of Italy’s intellectual establishment.” Siher’s social media posts also reflect his pro-Palestinian views and opposition to Zionism.
“I’m proud to be Palestinian,” Siher wrote on Oct. 7, 2023, the day Hamas attacked southern Israel. That same day, he commented “Allahu Akbar” in Arabic beneath a post by Transport Minister Matteo Salvini expressing solidarity with Israel.
In another post, Siher wrote: “We will not stop fighting until we reclaim every inch of our land, until everyone has returned home and there are no more displaced people searching for a place to call home.”
