Facebook reinstated terror suspect’s account nine times
FACEBOOK reactivated the account of a terror suspect after he warned them they would have to answer to “Allah the All-merciful”, a court has heard.
The social media giant suspended Abdulrahman Alcharbati’s account on nine occasions between Dec 20 2016 and March 10 2017 after he posted jihadist propaganda videos.
But each time he was able to persuade the company to reinstate the account, until it was permanently shut down on March 15.
Emails between the 31-year-old and moderators were read out to the jury at Newcastle Crown Court, where he denies six counts of disseminating terrorist material and one count of possessing a document containing information likely to be of use to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.
On the first occasion his account, on which he had 6,400 friends and followers, was taken down, he was told it would not be reactivated “for any reason”. But following a series of angry emails to Facebook – including one which said: “You will stand in front of the Creator Allah the All-merciful and will have to answer for your doing” – the company relented and he was able to keep posting videos glorifying Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil).
Among the clips he posted was one showing three Syrian soldiers being beaten by a mob and dragged to their deaths behind motorbikes in Raqqa. Others showed child soldiers undergoing Isil training and a suicide bomber detonating a car laden with explosives.
The jury was told that on one day last year Mr Alcharbati posted six Isil videos on his open Facebook page.
Police arrested Mr Alcharbati at his family home in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, on May 3 last year.
A search found a mobile phone which had a bomb-making manual downloaded on to it with instructions on how to make suicide bomber vests, it is alleged. The trial continues.