Two men who used social media to spread jihadist propaganda and recruit young followers have been jailed after a court found their activities led directly to a potential terror plot in Malaga.
A court heard how the pair built an online ecosystem of extremist content over several years, sharing violent imagery, radical sermons and messages glorifying jihadist violence, before taking their efforts offline through in-person meetings – some involving minors.
Spain’s Audiencia Nacional has now upheld sentences of six years and six months in prison, along with five years of supervised release after their release.
Judges ruled that the men were not merely consuming or sharing content, but actively recruiting and indoctrinating others into the ideology of the so-called Islamic State.
Their activity spanned from 2015 until their arrest in 2022, intensifying from 2020 onwards into what the court described as a ‘constant call’ for others to embrace jihad and wage violence against perceived enemies.
Malaga connection
One of the most serious findings in the case was the recruitment of a young man who was sent to Malaga with the intention of acquiring a weapon to carry out an attack.
The plan was stopped by the Guardia Civil at the city’s port before it could progress further.
That individual was later convicted of terrorism in a separate ruling in 2023.
For judges, this episode proved the network had real operational impact, not just ideological reach.
Graphic propaganda and radicalisation
The court found the accused regularly shared extreme content, including images of dismembered and decapitated bodies, designed to fuel a narrative of victimhood and justify violence.
They also distributed material offering instructions on how to fight ‘enemies of Islam’. alongside symbolic imagery of fighters and battlefield scenes.
Their messaging extended to strict interpretations of social roles, including content aimed at women, promoting submission and conservative dress while condemning those who did not follow those norms.
Defence rejected
The defence argued the men were simply sharing religious ideas and that their right to presumption of innocence had been violated.
However, judges dismissed this, stating that Spanish law does not require formal membership of a terrorist organisation, only actions that actively support or promote it.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
