Italian Court Releases Pro-Palestinian Activist, Drawing Prime Minister's Fury

A Milan judge has ordered the release of Youssef Sehar, a 30-year-old pro-Palestinian activist and independent journalist of Moroccan descent, who was arrested on October 24 over suspected involvement in violent protests. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni harshly criticized the court's decision, calling it shameful.

Prosecutors had targeted Sehar on suspicion of inciting criminal offenses with aggravated terrorist intent, alleging he managed the Telegram channel "October 17 Movement." Investigators claimed the channel distributed subversive content and calls for unrest. However, Judge Tiziana Landoni ruled that the contested posts were published by other group members rather than Sehar, noting a lack of solid evidence and no flight risk.

Meloni condemned the release in a social media video, describing it as an intolerable humiliation to police work and questioning how a civilized state can protect law-abiding citizens under such judicial rulings. The case highlights a newly introduced security decree by Meloni's government, carrying prison sentences of 4 to 12 years for organizers of groups endangering public safety during demonstrations.

Investigations by cyber police and anti-terrorism units, aided by IP data from Meta, led to Sehar's arrest at an apartment in Milan. Intelligence services had previously monitored Sehar since 2024 over ties to propaganda disseminated within European Muslim communities linked to Hamas and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.