Italian police arrest anarchist in Rome over bomb manuals and officer assault

Arrest and counter-terrorism charges

State police officers in Rome executed a precautionary prison detention order on Saturday morning, 3 October 2026, taking an Italian anarchist into custody. The judicial measure was issued by the preliminary investigations judge of the Court of Rome upon a formal request filed by the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors charged the suspect with the possession of material with terrorist aims, as well as aggravated and permanent facial injuries and aggravated violence and resistance against a public official. The terrorism offence stems from a legal provision introduced into the Italian penal code in 2025. Under that 2025 statute, the law penalises anyone who deliberately procures or retains documents and manuals that provide instructions on fabricating weapons, assembling explosive devices, or carrying out sabotage against essential public infrastructure.

Seizure of bomb manuals and sabotage plans

The detention order followed a detailed forensic examination of electronic devices carried out by the Digos political policing and counter-terrorism division of the Rome Police Headquarters. Investigators retrieved technical documentation from the suspect's mobile telephone, computer systems, and other digital data storage equipment. The files contained explicit operational instructions detailing how to prepare and assemble improvised explosive devices. Digital files also provided instruction on methods to sabotage critical public services across Italy. The seized files specifically identified national railway circulation systems and penitentiary facilities as primary operational targets. Prosecutors determined that the stored content went beyond general antagonist literature, representing functional operational guides that met the threshold for anti-terrorism charges.

The April demonstration and officer assault

The investigation originated from violent incidents that occurred during a protest march in central Rome on 18 April 2026. Police headquarters estimated that roughly 200 participants, consisting of anarchist activists from multiple Italian regions, gathered to demonstrate in support of Alfredo Cospito, who is detained under Italy's strict 41-bis prison isolation regime. The march proceeded through the capital toward Piazza San Lorenzo and the Pigneto district. As the procession reached the intersection of Via dei Sardi and Viale dello Scalo San Lorenzo, clashes broke out between participants and law enforcement units. A glass bottle thrown from the group of demonstrators struck the deputy head of the Rome Digos, who was monitoring the march in civilian clothes. The police official sustained head trauma and severe facial lacerations, requiring on-site emergency assistance and immediate transport to a hospital by ambulance.

Investigation and judicial proceedings

Following the assault on the police official, Rome prosecutors and Digos detectives launched an inquiry to identify the individual responsible for throwing the glass bottle. That inquiry resulted in targeted searches of the suspect's residence and the subsequent seizure of his electronic communication devices. Technical analysis of the hardware connected the suspect to the April street assault and uncovered the stored explosive guides. Following the submission of the forensic evidence by the Digos division, the preliminary investigations judge granted the prosecutor's request for pre-trial incarceration in prison. The suspect remains in judicial custody while the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office proceeds with the formal indictment under the 2025 anti-terrorism framework.