Hosni Hachemi Ben Hassen

Hassen Hachemi Ben Hosni, also known as Abu Haronne, was born in Jerissa, Tunisia, on March 3, 1967. Italian authorities started targeting Hosni in January 2008, when the Carabinieri placed him under surveillance due to the concerns that he was plotting a terrorist attack within the country. Hosni was living in Andria with his wife Anna di Modugno, he owned a call centre and ran the Islamic Centre Ennour. The surveillance went on for more than two years and it became clear that Hosni was the leader of a terrorist cell operating in Andria which included, apart from some individuals not identified by the police, Nabil Azam, Elkhaldey Faez, Nour Ifaoui, Romdhane Ben Chedli Khaireddine, and Hamdi Chamari.
According to judicial documents, the cell was a gathering of people united by the same mindset and religious ideology, often expressing their readiness and willingness to reach conflict zones and do martyrdom. The Islamic Center and Hosni’s call center served as hubs for ideological indoctrination, utilising web searches and the analysis of militaristic and terrorist materials. Hosni operated what could be described as a “terrorism school”, focused on ideological and military training, although it did not actively plan terrorist attacks within Italy. He frequently praised terrorist martyrs, openly expressed ethnic and religious animosity, and displayed a keen interest in conflict zones like Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Chechnya.
From the court documents, it is revealed that Hosni was conducting proselytism towards Noredine Ben Noredine, Abdessalem Bouzid, Agourram Khalid, and Faycal Ben Ali Jouba. They were not part of the terrorist cell but were certainly close to the main members. Hosni would also host those individuals who were homeless into the mosque such as Ifaoui and Khaireddine. From the wiretapped conversation, it is clear Hosni’s prominent position with the group, as Azam calls him ‘Sheikh’ as a sign of respect. An illuminating incident demonstrating that the Imam’s role went beyond leading prayers was when, in September 2009, he requested a woman to translate a text into Arabic. This text referred to Bin Laden’s recent declaration, implying that divine intervention would determine the outcome between America and its adversaries and was sent to all members. Hosni would admonish members of the group whenever they discussed sensitive information over the phone, indicating his awareness of the group’s unlawful activities. They also took precautions when sharing information, such as recruiting and proselytising a Muslim convert named Vincenzo Leonetti. Leonetti frequently conversed with Hosni, Ifaoui, and Azam at the Islamic Center and allowed them to use his phone for contacting individuals of interest, as his phone was considered secure.
Wiretapped conversations unveiled Hosni’s ideology marked by extreme religious fervour, as well as strong anti-Western and anti-Semitic sentiments. This sentiment is evident in a conversation with Raouf, during which Hosni employed Salafist and al-Qaeda rhetoric to denounce American imperialism and advocate for the restoration of a caliphate unifying the Muslim ummah. Another noteworthy exchange occurred between Hosni and his mother, where they discussed news from Gaza. Hosni blamed Jewish people for the situation, expressed admiration for Bin Laden and conveyed a desire to participate in the conflict zone as soon as he received the Italian passport. Additionally, when discussing the L’Aquila earthquake of April 2009, Hosni expressed a wish for a similar catastrophe to befall Jews. Hosni’s animosity toward Jews was further revealed in a conversation with a woman, during which he asserted that her children should harbour hatred toward Jews as it aligns with one of Islam’s fundamental principles. Ultimately, Hosni praised the necessity of jihad as a duty for Muslim people, a duty that was shared by all the members of the cell. This linked him to the radicalisation of Tarik Ben Brahim Hidri, an individual who, in 2009, after being indoctrinated by Hosni, traveled to Iraq to join the fight as a mujaheddin.
Wiretapped conversations and stories of cooperating witnesses connected Hosni to high-profile members of the al-Qaeda cell of the Viale Jenner mosque in Milan. In August 2008, Hosni opted to send a package to Ibrahim Nasri through the postal service instead of directly to the mosque to evade police scrutiny. The cooperating witnesses confirmed the extremist content of the materials within the package, describing them as tools for radicalisation and indoctrination. They believed these materials fostered beliefs in the societal redemption through jihad and martyrdom. From testimonies provided by cooperating witnesses, it was revealed that between September 1998 and the end of 2000, Hosni resided in Legnano (MI) and associated with individuals linked to international terrorism, including Sami Ben Khemais Essid, Ben Rachid Ben Yahia Mouldi, and Mohamed Ben Ali. During this time, Hosni allowed Sami Essid (AQ head of the Milan cell) to use his house as a headquarters for sending individuals to Afghanistan and assisted him in exchanging forged documents for those intending to participate in jihad in Afghanistan, while also managing a cooperative career centre in Legnano. Even after relocating to Andria, Hosni maintained connections with Sami Essid’s family members. Sami Essid was identified as the leader of the Milano cell ‘Tunisian Combatant Group,’ and in September 2008, Hosni sent money to Tunisia through Sami’s brother, Samir, aware that Sami was in jail. Mohamed Ben Ali utilised Hosni’s cooperative to employ undocumented compatriots, aiding illegal immigration in Italy. Additionally, Hosni had close ties with Arman Ahmed El Hissini Helmy (Abu Imad), the Imam of the cultural association in Milan, who recruited individuals for military training in Afghanistan. Their relationship was built on trust, evidenced by Hosni’s accommodation in the mosque in November 2009, and his friendship with Khaireddine, who was poised to become the Milan mosque’s bookeeper.
Hosni was also accused of terrorist financing and aiding illegal immigration. In November 2008, Hosni planned on expanding the mosque and asked Khaireddine about collecting money through his influence within the Muslim community of Milan. Moreover, Hosni and the group collected €1,700 for the Palestinian people and most likely he gave this money to a man representing the Islamic Relief. Throughout 2008 and 2009, Hosni procured various counterfeited documents to members of his cell, such as Ifaoui, because they needed them to apply for seasonal jobs or evade police controls.
In 2011, Hosni moved to Belgium alongside his wife Anna, his son Haronne and daughter Maryam. In April 2013, police confiscated his phone and computer, finding several compromising files such as sermons preaching jihad and violence against nonbelievers, preaching the Caliphate and martyrdom. Photos were also found that attest that Hosni knew Khaireddine, Ifaoui, and Adam directly and that contacts had not been interrupted in 2012 and 2013, as he had frequent conversations with Ifaoui.
Hosni was arrested on April 30, 2013, extradited to Italy on June 5, and charged with art. 270 bis as the leader of a terrorist cell. His anti-Semitic and anti-Western sentiments, as well as his involvement in aiding illegal immigration, forging documents, financing activities, and propagandising through extremist materials, were also considered. Additionally, he faced charges for inciting hatred and violence against Jews.
On February 2, 2013, the preliminary investigation judge of Bari ordered a pre-trial detention to Hosni because of danger of escape, as he had contacts in other countries. On September 24, 2014, the Tribunal of Bari sentenced Hosni to 5 years and 2 months in prison. The judge affirmed Hosni’s influential position within the group, allowing proselytising, ideological and religious radicalisation within the Andria mosque, and hosting members who were unlawfully staying in Italy. He served as the conduit between the Andria and Milan cells and expressed readiness to engage in jihad in conflict zones. On October 27, 2015, the Appeal Court confirmed the sentence but concluded that neither the group nor Hosni were involved in terrorist financing, including the money sent to Sami Essid. However, the judge confirmed the existence of an organised, albeit rudimentary, cell with clear criminal intent. Its members were engaged in recruiting and radicalising individuals for jihad, united by shared religious beliefs. Nevertheless, the judge noted that none of the group members had carried out their intended terrorist actions, thus preventing the realisation of their terroristic aims. On July 14, 2016, the Court of Cassation overturned Hosni’s conviction because no crime was committed according to art. 270 bis. The judge determined that the indoctrination intended to incite individuals to engage in jihad did not amount to a terrorist act since no such actions were carried out; none of the individuals involved actually traveled to the conflict zones. Additionally, the judge acknowledged the group’s limited capabilities, stating that there was no evidence indicating their concrete ability to execute their plans or pose a threat to Italy. Soon after the sentence of the Court of Cassation, Hosni was expelled from Italy to Tunisia.