In March, a Swedish mother received a jarring call from the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) while at work. Her apartment was being raided, and her two sons, aged 25 and 23, had been arrested. The scene inside their shared bedroom revealed a mix of the mundane – perfume bottles, a card game, scattered clothes – and the unsettling: Islamic literature, cash, and a notebook with scribbled references to Osama Bin Laden and Jihad. The raid was part of a larger operation targeting several locations, including a basement mosque in Tyresö where a hidden camera captured the older brother handling what appeared to be a weapon the day before. Säpo announced that several individuals had been apprehended on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act, including the two brothers. The urgency of the situation, according to Säpo, necessitated immediate action to prevent imminent violence and potential loss of life.
The subsequent indictment painted a disturbing picture. The 25-year-old brother was accused of pledging allegiance to IS leaders in Somalia, assuming a coordinating role, and actively recruiting individuals to carry out attacks against “infidels,” suggesting that minors be used due to potentially lighter sentences. Europol’s assessment corroborated his position as a contact person facilitating religious emigration to Muslim countries. The younger brother, aged 23, also faced charges of participating in a terrorist organization, specifically assisting with recruitment efforts on behalf of ISIS. Wiretapped conversations, authenticated through voice recognition technology, formed a crucial part of the evidence, allegedly revealing plans to target Jewish locations, like synagogues, with the brothers exhibiting a callous disregard for potential collateral damage, including the deaths of children. Further solidifying the case against the 25-year-old was his attempted journey to Somalia to join ISIS, which was thwarted by Turkish authorities who became suspicious of his one-way ticket.
The brothers’ path to radicalization emerged through a combination of interviews and police investigations. Their mother recounted a seemingly ordinary upbringing disrupted by the older brother’s conversion to Islam in his teens, followed later by the younger brother, influenced by a group of, as the mother described, ”immigrant youth.” Neither parent was religious, and the mother expressed surprise and fear at this development. The older brother’s schooling was turbulent, marked by suspension for threatening a teacher, subsequent involvement in drug-related crimes, and multiple convictions shared by both siblings. A two-month prison sentence in 2022 seemed to deepen the older brother’s religious convictions, prompting daily mosque visits, sometimes as early as 4 am. The mother likened this new fervor to ”poison.” Following a trip to Morocco with friends, he returned wearing traditional Muslim attire, which the younger brother soon adopted, reinforcing the mother’s belief that the older brother exerted significant influence over his more impressionable sibling.
Neighbors corroborated the timeline, observing a stark transformation in the brothers’ appearance and behavior in 2023, marked by the adoption of traditional clothing and the growth of beards. While outwardly reserved, their increasingly religious demeanor was noticeable. Säpo’s investigation also uncovered the 25-year-old’s online presence in closed chat groups, where he was described by a terror suspect in Barcelona as “extremely radicalized and violent,” frequently urging fellow members to engage in violent actions. Despite this escalating extremism, the brothers continued to hold short-term positions at local schools and childcare centers, with the younger brother even receiving praise from a parent for his gentle nature, a fact that further confounded their mother in light of the accusations.
The brothers themselves offered little insight into their radicalization. The 25-year-old remained mostly silent during interrogations, only reacting when corrected by his lawyer about the term “revert” versus “convert” to Islam, clarifying the Islamic belief of being born Muslim and subsequently led astray. He echoed this sentiment, stating that his parents had misguided him. He refused to comment on the execution videos and ISIS propaganda found on his devices or elaborate on the significance of dying for Allah. Later in the investigation, he became increasingly hostile, resorting to insults and accusations against the police. A letter written to his mother after his arrest urged her not to worry, emphasizing Islam as the solution to all problems.
The trial, held in Nacka District Court, also involved two other defendants: a 21-year-old linked to a local criminal network involved in drug and weapons trafficking, who was pictured with firearms in Somalia; and a 63-year-old leader of the Tyresö Islamic Cultural Association, accused of facilitating communication between Swedish individuals and IS-Somalia. All four defendants pleaded not guilty. The case highlights the complex nature of radicalization, illustrating the intersection of personal beliefs, family dynamics, and societal influences, leaving lingering questions about the brothers’ journey from an ordinary life to one of alleged extremism.
