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Italy's Meloni fumes at 'shameful' ruling after a Milan judge frees a man accused of inciting violent protests

Youssef Siher was arrested on 24 October on charges of incitement, aggravated by alleged terrorist purposes — the first case brought under Meloni's new security law.
Youssef Siher was arrested on 24 October on charges of incitement, aggravated by alleged terrorist purposes — the first case brought under Meloni's new security law.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy's Prime Minister, who denounced as "shameful" a judge's ruling that there were no serious grounds to hold Youssef Siher on charges under her government's new security law.
Giorgia Meloni, Italy's Prime Minister, who denounced as "shameful" a judge's ruling that there were no serious grounds to hold Youssef Siher on charges under her government's new security law.

A Milan judge has freed Youssef Siher — a 30-year-old freelance journalist of Moroccan origin who holds a geopolitics degree — after ruling that prosecutors' case against him was "deeply flawed." Siher was arrested on 24 October on charges of incitement to commit crimes, aggravated by alleged terrorist purposes, making his case the first test of a sweeping new security law Meloni's government passed this month.

Judge Tiziana Landoni ruled there were 'no serious grounds' for believing Siher committed the offences, and no flight risk.

Prosecutors had accused Siher of administering a Telegram group linked to violent Milan protests, but the judge found the inflammatory posts came from other members, not him.

Meloni denounced the decision as 'shameful' on social media, setting up a direct collision between her government and the judiciary.

MoreThe IndependentMeloni fumes over judge's 'shameful' decision to free man accused of inciting violent protests in ItalyReutersMeloni furious as Italian judge frees man accused of inciting violent protests
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