Rok Zavbi
In March 2016, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Venezia ordered a precautionary measure consisting of a pre-trial detention for Rok Zavbi, a Slovenian citizen born on April 15, 1990, on the charge of organising, funding and advertising travel to foreign territories with the aim of terrorism under art. 270 quater 1 of the Italian Criminal Code. According to the indictment, Zavbi was an ISIS veteran and a close follower of the Imam Husein Bosnic’s preachings, and had an informative role in the case of the two foreign fighters Munifer Karamaleski and Ismar Mesinovic, operating in Castelfranco Veneto, Pordenone and Bosnia Herzegovina until December 2013. Zavbi had also been charged with belonging to a terrorist association and committing violent acts against Syria and Western countries under art. 270 bis. Moreover, the public prosecutor also charged Zavbi with the illegal holding of a weapon brought from Slovenia to Italy with the aim of selling it to Mesinovic and Vilson Haxhiu.
When recounting his conversion to Islam, Zavbi revealed that the Imam Husein Bosnic’s proselytism was crucial in his radicalisation and subsequent enlistment within ISIS. Zavbi also disclosed his friendship with Bosnic, pointing to his charisma and respect as the factors that had bolstered his willingness to leave for Syria. The defendant even met Bosnic a few times in 2013 before embarking on his journey to Syria and recounted the Imam’s role in the travel arrangements, having gathered and sponsored with money a small group of foreign fighters. Still, during the interview with the judge, Zavbi openly manifested his distancing from the jihadist ideology.
The defendant’s role in the case of Karamaleski and Munifer started in September 2013, when Zavbi met the two foreign fighters for the first time in Bosnic’s mosque where he was introduced as a war hero. Then, Zavbi went to Italy to continue his proselytism, as in November 2013 he was hosted by Mesinovic and in this instance he had brought with him a weapon he intended to sell to the men. Zavbi had been sent by the Imam Bosnic to ensure the two foreign fighters were ready to leave to join ISIS by explaining to them the logistics of how to get to Syria, the life he had within ISIS, his duty as a soldier and as a nurse. In December 2013, Zavbi was in Bosnia and it is very likely he met with Bosnic, Karamaleski and Mesinovic because they were about to leave for Syria. Therefore, Zavbi’s role in the enlistment of the two foreign fighters from Belluno is clear: he offered information and precious documents to the two men, reinforcing their willingness to join ISIS.
From the court documents, it emerged that at the beginning of 2014 Zavbi had decided to leave for Syria to join Karamaleski and that the latter had funded the defendant’s journey. Moreover, a chat between Karamaleski’s sister Sibel and a friend of his Vilson Haxhiu revealed that Zavbi was known with the Islamic name Ammar and was betrothed to Sibel Karamaleski, although she refused. The indictment discloses that, once Mesinovic had died in 2014, Zavbi was in Slovenia working as a salesperson while attending the mosque in Ljubljana.
Zavbi was arrested in Ljubljana on May 6, 2016, following an international mandate from the preliminary investigation judge of Venezia and detained in Tolmezzo. The Court of Venezia found him guilty of the crimes under art. 270 quater 1 as well as art. 1, 2, 4 and 7 of law no. 895/1967. However, when it comes to the defendant’s participation to a terrorist organisation, he was found not guilty. As a consequence, Zavbi was sentenced to three years and four months in prison. After having served two years and two months, Zavbi was released and deported in 2018 and was later escorted to the Slovenian border.