Italian authorities have arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of involvement with the Islamic State (ISIS) and possession of neo-Nazi and antisemitic propaganda materials. The teenager, originally from the province of Como, was taken into custody in Grosseto while vacationing with his family.
Law enforcement officials charged the youth with participation in an association aimed at international terrorism, as well as the dissemination of propaganda and incitement to commit crimes motivated by racial, ethnic, and religious hatred. The investigation was carried out by the General Investigations and Special Operations Division (DIGOS) anti-terrorism unit in Milan, in cooperation with the Como DIGOS and the Central Directorate of Prevention Police’s Service for Combating Extremism and External Terrorism. The Milan Juvenile Prosecutor’s Office coordinated the legal proceedings.
The inquiry began after the Internal Intelligence and Security Agency (AISI) reported suspicious online activity involving the sharing of jihadist content linked to ISIS across several accounts on a messaging platform. Officials traced these profiles back to the minor, who had no prior connections to radical groups, marking this case as an uncommon instance of a juvenile detained for terrorism-related offenses without previous extremist ties.
A subsequent search of the teenager’s digital devices uncovered extensive ISIS-related materials, including propaganda videos, images depicting training sessions and executions, and content promoting supremacist, neo-Nazi, and antisemitic ideologies. Investigators also found evidence suggesting the boy had expressed support for ISIS and claimed involvement in producing propaganda for the group. Among the confiscated material was a video in Russian providing instructions on manufacturing an improvised explosive device from readily available components.
Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini commented on the case, referring to the youth as "another well-mannered and perfectly integrated Italian boy of foreign origin," who was allegedly preparing to construct explosives for Islamist terrorism. Italian police have not disclosed the boy’s ethnicity.
The arrest highlights ongoing concerns in Italy regarding youth radicalization, particularly the intersection of Islamist extremism and far-right ideologies. Authorities continue to investigate potential networks and influences connected to the teenager’s activities.