A young man from Puglia, accused of enlisting for the purpose of international terrorism and propaganda and incitement to crime on the grounds of racial, ethnic and religious discrimination, was arrested and taken to prison by the police. The investigations were launched in 2021 by Digos and Ucigos as part of the monitoring of supremacist and far-right virtual environments, connected to the “Sieg Heil” channel, used by the young man to promote anti-Semitic, misogynistic and neo-Nazi content up to declare himself ready for the extreme sacrifice and to carry out unspecified violent actions.
The arrested for international terrorism is the 23 year old Luigi Antonio Brushes, originally from Acquaviva delle Fonti. The restrictive measure was issued by the investigating judge of the Bari Court Paola Angela De Santis at the request of the prosecutor Roberto Rossiof the deputy prosecutor Francesco Giannella and the substitute Ignazio Francesco Abbess.
The investigation was launched after a report by the Digos of Bari following a web monitoring carried out by the Aise on extreme right-wing supremacist circles. A Telegram chat connected to the ‘Sieg Heil’ channel was then traced, on which the suspect was active, which spread anti-Semitic and National Socialist propaganda material.
“He committed the conduct by staying inside his home and using it as a logistical base for his contacts, as well as for his indoctrination, training on the one hand and proselytizing on the other”, wrote the investigating judge of the Bari court. in the precautionary custody order that brought the 23-year-old to jail to be carried out on charges of enlistment for the purpose of international terrorism and propaganda and instigation to crime on the grounds of racial, ethnic and religious discrimination. The young man was taken to prison by the Bari police.
The flag with the ‘The Base’ logo was photographed on the balcony of the house. The investigating judge underlined that “not even with living with his unsuspecting parents could he act as a deterrent, if only one observes the type and quantity of material, weapons and tools held in the house”. And again: “Through multiple computer and telephone connections, it could easily continue to cultivate its relationships with other group representatives, as well as with individuals whose identity it has declared not to know as well as plan and manage any meetings and projects, without any possibility of immediate and timely verification “.
The analysis of the computer media seized during the investigation also highlighted references to the desire to procure weapons, as well as the ability to build ghost guns to be built in perspective through the purchase of a 3D printer.
The investigations made it possible to stop – according to the accusation – the criminal action of the young supremacist radicalized through the web, who came into contact with the leader of the aforementioned terrorist organization who, considering him part of the collective terrorist design, indoctrinated him to spread values, schemes and objectives of the association also in Italy and for it to continue proselytizing on the national territory.
During the investigation, the public prosecutor believes that it has acquired “solid evidence” thanks, not only to the technical services, but also through the analysis of the computer documentation seized during a search carried out at the suspect’s home, made particularly complex by the countermeasures adopted by the young person to guarantee the ‘security’ of his communications “.