Teen Convicted of Jihadist Terrorism in Madrid, Marking First Such Case in Spanish Capital

The Moroccan has been interested in the Islamic State (Daesh) since the age of 12, after losing his father in Morocco and joining an adoptive family in Spain. In June of last year, he was arrested by the Algete (Madrid) police, as he was considered a threat to Spain’s security, before being sentenced on February 15 by the Central Court of Minors, according to judicial sources consulted by ABC, specifying that he will have to remain in detention in a juvenile center until the age of majority and could reintegrate into society after a "deradicalization" process.

For four years, he was indoctrinated into the jihadist ideology and also self-indoctrinated into Daesh. Alerted, the investigators began to monitor the minor’s activities, until the intelligence services managed to access his mobile phone, which contained a large amount of files related to Daesh propaganda. A jihadist "library" of several gigabytes composed of videos of terrorist attacks claimed by the Islamic State, executions and incitements to join the jihad and become a martyr. Videos could also be seen in which he pledged allegiance to the terrorist organization.

In one of the videos found on the minor’s mobile phone, the judge of the Audiencia Nacional, José de la Mata, is directly threatened with death. "You will die with a bomb. We reiterate our clear commitment to eliminate José de la Mata," can be heard in the video. The minor also had various Islamic State manuals on the manufacture of explosives and chemical weapons, on how to fight in a war environment or avoid police surveillance and prevent the spying of his mobile phones.