Four men, including two Swedish brothers who converted to Islam, have been charged with preparing to commit acts of terror and involvement in a terrorist organization, according to an indictment submitted to Nacka District Court.
The group is accused of acting on behalf of the Islamic State in Somalia, with plans allegedly targeting Jewish individuals as part of their intended “jihad.”
Remix News reported on the case when the suspects were first arrested on March 7, 2024, during a coordinated raid by Sweden’s national task force on multiple locations in Tyresö, a suburb of Stockholm. One of the key locations was a basement mosque on Sikvägen in Bollmora, monitored by Sweden’s Security Service (Säpo) following suspicions of extremist activity.
A covert operation, including surveillance via a spy camera installed in the mosque, revealed individuals handling suspicious weapons, which prompted the raid by the Swedish authorities.
Two Swedish brothers, Elias and Rasmus Johansson, and two other men — 21-year-old Omar Atia and 63-year-old Elyas Hakamali — were arrested.
"It is not a right to come to our country and build monuments to a foreign and imperialist ideology," @JimmieAkesson told his party faithful — remarks that could further anger Turkey and jeopardize Sweden's NATO membership bid. https://t.co/HkXfYwRkPh
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) November 25, 2023Elias, 25, and Rasmus, 23, grew up in Tyresö with Swedish-born parents but converted to radical Islam in their teenage years. According to the Samnytt news site, their mother described the time when Elias first became radicalized as “horrible and scary,” a sentiment echoed when Rasmus followed suit a few years later.
The brothers became increasingly devout, frequenting a local basement mosque run by the Tyresö Islamic Cultural Association. Elias reportedly traveled to Morocco in 2023 and attempted to reach Somalia via Turkey in early 2024, raising red flags with Turkish authorities due to his one-way ticket and appearance.
The other suspects have diverse backgrounds. Omar Atia, born in Sweden to Egyptian and Moroccan immigrants, and Elyas Hakamali, originally from Somaliland, allegedly collaborated with the Johansson brothers in connection with the Islamic State in Somalia. The indictment cites discussions among the accused about carrying out terrorist acts, with a focus on Jewish targets.
All four defendants deny the charges, which include preparation for terrorist crimes, gross participation in a terrorist organization, and other offenses.
