Youssef Siher. Photo: ispionline.it
The mastermind behind the movement that has orchestrated the recent violent riots in Italy is Youssef Siher (30), an Italian citizen of Moroccan origin, and has been a research intern at the Observatory for the Middle East and North Africa at the Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale (ISPI) in Milan, an advisory body to Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On Saturday morning, the 30-year-old was arrested in Milan and charged with incitement to terrorism, reports Corriere della Sera.
His research interests focus on political Islam, Islamic political movements and the relationship between Islam and Arab nationalism. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Milan. During his studies, he analysed the connection between Islamic political ideologies in the 20th century and Islam’s early political experiences, and in his master’s thesis he conducted a thorough investigation of Islamic movements in Morocco and their relationship with the monarchy.
Siher, who has also been associated with the pro-Palestinian movement, has managed the digital forum for ‘Movimento 17 ottobre’, that is, the 17 October Movement, a reference to the day of the violent riots in Paris, Milan and elsewhere.
He has also made a name for himself as leader of the Muslim Students’ Association in Milan and organiser of the first public iftar meal in the northern Italian metropolis, writes Corriere della Sera.
Here he is making a statement during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Milan on 12 July 2025, in which he criticises Italy’s relations with Israel, which, in his view, is guilty of ‘genocide’.
Siher has also been active as a freelance journalist and has written for the newspapers Il Fatto Quotidiano and Il Foglio.
The arrest, which followed a week of intelligence work, may have contributed to the cancellation of the protests that had been called for this Saturday afternoon in Italy’s largest cities – reportedly with plans to take action at several surprise locations at a later date, though this remains uncertain.
Italy’s Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi, welcomes the arrest and states that there will be no leniency for rioters. The police have, in fact, maintained a massive presence in the centres of Italy’s largest cities today.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto, for his part, says that Siher is not an outcast, but a well-connected individual who has moved in the circles of Italy’s intellectual elite. “And we have seen the results,” adds Crosetto.
