Milan prosecutors seek pre-trial jail for Youssef Siher over 'Movimento 17 ottobre' channel

Arrest and charges

Youssef Siher, a 30-year-old researcher, was detained on the night of 24 October and is accused of incitement to commit crimes, aggravated by a terrorism purpose and by organised violence at public demonstrations. Prosecutors say he was the administrator of the social media channel 'Movimento 17 ottobre', set up after the rioting and looting in central Milan on 17 October. The investigation is run by the counter-terrorism department, with prosecutor Francesca Crupi working alongside chief prosecutor Marcello Viola. Their request asks that he be held in prison rather than under house arrest, citing the risk that he flees and the risk that he commits the offence again.

The prosecutors' case

The filing describes Siher as having a prominent profile in activist circles. Prosecutors say he built a group of nearly 9,000 followers in only a few days, most of whom they consider inclined to criminal conduct against public order. They also argue that his command of digital tools would allow him to draft statements capable of gathering thousands of people in public squares. The meeting points named in his instructions were, according to the filing, chosen to avoid police checks. Siher's posts, as quoted in the request, include this line:

“Meloni declares war on the future of this country and we declare war on this infamous present.”

The channel was shut down on Saturday, 24 October, after investigators intervened, so the planned gatherings were never sent out to followers. Forensic searches of his laptop have not yet turned up any trace of those instructions.

The manual and the Genoa inquiry

Investigators found a file titled 'Rivoluzione, istruzioni per l'uso' on his seized notebook. Parts of it resemble material from the channel, and the decree says it was loosely inspired by a manual from the 2011 Egyptian revolution. According to the filing, the document explains how to organise civil disobedience against the Meloni government, with three aims: expressing dissent, drawing in as many people as possible, and protecting participants. It also covers clothing and equipment such as hoods, goggles, gloves, shields and spray paint. Separately, prosecutors in Genoa are checking whether Siher has links to suspects in their anti-mafia inquiry into alleged financing of Hamas, which led to the arrest of the activist Mohammad Hannoun. Genoa's chief prosecutor, Nicola Piacente, said Siher was never directly intercepted in that investigation, and any relevant findings will be passed to Milan. An opinion column in a national daily argues that, on the facts so far, the cited posts do not meet the Constitutional Court's test for incitement, which requires conduct concretely capable of provoking crimes.

What comes next

Judge Tiziana Landoni will question Siher at 9:30 on Tuesday, 27 October, at San Vittore prison, where he is represented by lawyer Yasmina Abu Sharar. The judge must decide whether to validate the detention and order custody, and that decision is due by 28 October. The prosecutors' request is the basis for that hearing. The outcome will determine whether Siher remains in custody while the investigation continues.