The National Court has sentenced the four members of a jihadist terrorist cell based in Barcelona who had selected Russian targets to attack in the Catalan capital to 10 and 8 years in prison.
In a sentence, the magistrates of the Second Section of the Criminal Chamber sentenced Rabah Hadjeras, alias Rabeh, to ten years in prison for the crime of promoting and directing a terrorist group and eight years to Omar Negazzi, alias Brahim, for Hatab Samir, alias Miami, and Lyes Arfa, alias Sourfian, for integration into a terrorist organization. On the other hand, the court acquitted Younas El Morabit and Hichem Hamouche of the crimes of active collaboration with a terrorist group.
The sentence considers it proven that Rabah Hadjeras, who has also been using the identity of Berkan Azizi, led a terrorist cell of a jihadist nature based in Barcelona in which Omar Negazzi was also integrated, in training, information and contact functions with DAESH , Hatab Samir, in computing and telecommunication functions and Lyes Arfa, as target identifier.
“This cell was in a position to act in Barcelona, for which they had not only been theoretically trained in the postulates of radical jihadist Salafism, but they had also been trained in the production of explosives and in handling other types of weapons and they had started the process to provide themselves with the necessary weapons for this purpose,” he says.
The cell was in contact with the ISIS organization in the Middle East through a complex system consisting of the chained use of various applications, alien to each other and previously validated by the Islamic State's technology division, whose sequenced use allowed direct dialogue to be established. with ISIS.
Thanks to this direct connection, the members of the cell could consult whatever new material was published by any of the official ISIS channels, sometimes even within a few minutes of its publication on the Internet by the terrorist group, as well as being informed almost in real time of the attacks that occurred.
The leader called meetings in secluded and discreet places (the breakwater on the Mar Bella beach in Barcelona, a recreational area on Avenida Lluís Companys at night and inside a bar in the Born area), which were used for the collective listening of the nasheed.
These wiretaps were intended to predispose their audience towards the commission of terrorist actions and in them the attendees mutually reaffirmed their willingness to commit terrorist actions in the future, as they had devised, explains the Court.
Once the ideological cohesion was established, the next step was to obtain weapons. In this sense, the Court indicates, during his stay at the Brians-1 Penitentiary Center, Rabah Hadjeras contacted the defendant Younas El Morabit, who was serving a prison sentence for trafficking in war weapons, with the aim that once were released, it could give them access to weapons.
The Chamber explains that, once the necessary training and ideological cohesion of the cell had been obtained, trained in the use of explosives and knives and in how to successfully carry out mass run-overs and with the expectation of obtaining war material, Hadjeras proceeded to mark the possible targets, especially Russian interests in the Catalan capital.
The designation of Russian interests as a target was not accidental or random, but in accordance with the lines of action of DAESH since Abu Mohamed al Adnani, spokesman for the terrorists, had already urged in July 2016 to "blow the fire of a holy war" against Moscow.
Lyes Arfa was in charge of contacting Hichem Hamouche to specify the Russian objectives in Barcelona. The latter worked in the port of Barcelona, specifically in a company that provides repair and maintenance services for large yachts, the ruling explains.
The Court highlights the location of a video sent by Sourfian, on May 30, 2018, via Messenger, in which he shows a sequence of images of emblematic places in Barcelona combined with a speech that speaks of the figure of the lone wolf.
The possession of this video, says the Chamber, once again provides evidence of the alleged direct participation of Sourfian in the preparation of the terrorist action announced by the leader of the group, that is, "inciting to commit a terrorist act in the same city in which the investigated would have resolved to materialize it.”
This cell, therefore, differs from a fortuitous group because its goal is not the fortuitous or immediate commission of a crime, but rather chooses its objectives and draws on both material and financial means to dedicate them to committing attacks.
