Everything you need to know about the arrest in Como of a jihadist propagandist (and his network)

According to sources consulted by Il Foglio, the order issued on 30 July by the investigating magistrate of the Milan Juvenile Court, placing a 16-year-old resident of Como in pre-trial detention at a juvenile detention centre, contains a highly detailed investigative report and a network that is worth examining. The boy is under investigation for membership of organisations with terrorist aims and, on a second count, for incitement to violence on racial and ethnic grounds. Investigators believe that, from at least February 2024 until the end of June 2026, he frequented jihadist online communities, used Discord and Reddit, visited websites linked to Islamic State propaganda, and engaged in conversations in which he allegedly demonstrated adherence to that ideology. The case file also reveals a neo-Nazi and white supremacist element, featuring racist and anti-Semitic symbols, images and messages.

The investigation arose as part of international cooperation efforts aimed at monitoring extremist online communities. Investigators identified a ‘Discord’ account active in a jihadist chat group which, between July and September 2025, is alleged to have shared propaganda linked to ISIS. These investigations revealed other accounts, one of which was linked to the boy’s family. A key piece of information came from the Digos unit in Cagliari: an account registered in the father’s name but used by the minor had, between 31 July and 1 August 2025, accessed websites considered to be of a jihadist nature from a holiday accommodation in Sardinia where the family was staying.

According to the court order, the minor was using tools designed to make it more difficult to trace connections. The use of the Tor Browser was documented on the phone, and investigations revealed the use of VPN services. Traffic analysis recorded repeated visits to an Arabic-language website which investigators describe as a platform for jihadist propaganda. Interceptions then led to the identification of a further Discord account: the profile picture showed the ISIS flag accompanied by two long guns. Links were found in the bio leading to Telegram channels and other websites containing material from the terrorist organisation.

The records also reveal an overlap between jihadism and white supremacist and neo-Nazi circles. In some conversations on Discord, Nazi salutes, symbols of the Third Reich, anti-Semitic content and racist material appear. A channel frequented by the young man is described as a space where jihadist propaganda, references to white supremacy and National Socialist symbols circulated side by side. This intermingling of different extremist spheres is one of the aspects considered significant in reconstructing the path of radicalisation.

The breakthrough came with the search on 30 June. An examination of the seized mobile phone and computers is said to have confirmed and expanded on the evidence already gathered. Chats were found on the mobile phone in which the young man expressed support for jihadist militias and discussed the possibility of joining Islamic State fighters in the future. In some conversations, he shared videos showing combat, executions, training and ISIS symbols; in others, jihadist imagery appeared alongside neo-Nazi and anti-Semitic content.

The conversations are one of the central elements of the prosecution’s case because, according to the investigating judge’s assessment, they help to distinguish between mere curiosity and ideological alignment. According to the case files, the 16-year-old expresses his intention to join the organisation in the future, suggesting he might do so once he is older, and implies that he has already carried out activities related to propaganda. In another exchange, he comes into contact with a person who claims to have been involved in jihadist circles in the past and to have been arrested as a result. The boy asks him how he might be able to help him should he manage to get in touch with him. For the investigators, these conversations demonstrate an affinity with the Islamic State’s narrative that goes beyond the mere observation of extremist content.

The search also led to the discovery of numerous files. Training and execution videos produced by one of the Islamic State’s official media branches were found on a computer, along with jihadist songs translated into several languages and a propaganda poster linked to a media organisation associated with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. Among the seized material is also the full video of the white supremacist attack carried out in 2019 in Christchurch, New Zealand. On the hard drive, investigators also found material glorifying ISIS and a video detailing the homemade construction of an improvised explosive device using readily available materials, including the assembly steps.

It is on the combination of these elements, and not on a single incident, that the judge bases the interim order. The order states that the young man did not merely download material, but had become a regular member of online jihadist and white supremacist groups, shared content, participated in conversations with users deemed dangerous, and used tools to make it more difficult to trace his activities. The investigating judge attaches significance to the duration of the conduct and the variety of materials found, and emphasises the risk of reoffending.

For this reason, in accepting the public prosecutor’s request regarding the charge of membership of organisations with terrorist aims, the investigating judge ordered pre-trial detention in a juvenile detention centre. At the same time, the court instructed the youth justice services to investigate the 16-year-old’s living situation, his relationship with his family and his wider environment. According to sources consulted by "Il Foglio", the picture painted by the order is one of digital radicalisation that has developed over time, within an ecosystem in which jihadist propaganda, neo-Nazism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism and the glorification of violence ultimately overlap. The decisive factor, in the judge’s assessment, is not a single video or message, but the continuity of the behaviour, participation in online communities and the act of sharing content.