Siher doesn't respond to the investigating judge. His lawyers say, "He's in prison because of the political climate; he hasn't committed any crimes. He should be released."

Youssef Siher, the creator of the "Movimento 17 Ottobre" social media channels, availed himself of the right to remain silent while being questioned in Milan's San Vittore prison by investigating judge Tiziana Landoni.

The thirty-year-old has chosen to maintain absolute silence, not even making spontaneous statements. Prosecutor Francesca Crupi and prosecutor Marcello Viola have requested that the arrest be confirmed and that he be held in pre-trial detention due to the risk of repeating the crime and fleeing.

According to the charges, Siher allegedly supported and provided organizational guidance through social media for the anti-government uprising that was scheduled to take place in Milan on October 24, replicating the urban guerrilla warfare of October 17 and 18. He is charged with aggravated incitement to crime with the aim of terrorism and organized violence at public demonstrations .

Lawyers Benedetto Ciccarone and Yasmina Abu Sharar dispute the charges and ask for his release: "He did nothing. There was no conduct that incited the violence, there is no terrorism, there is no crime, and at the hearing we contested the charges from a legal standpoint," they said.

"In our opinion, there is neither serious evidence of guilt nor the need for precautionary measures, and we contested these aspects during the half-hour hearing," the defense explained. The lawyers also clarified that they highlighted that Siher is being charged with a crime, that of organized violence in public demonstrations, which came into force after the social media posts were created. What Siher wrote on social media "was not incitement; we contested the very existence of the crimes; in our opinion, they are not crimes. Whatever they were," they explained, "they are things that do not constitute a crime."

The two lawyers believe his detention is due to the "political climate." "We're not absolutely surprised, given the current political climate. He was confident he had exercised his constitutionally guaranteed freedoms and rights."

(Unioneonline)