By Dalena Reporters — Valletta, Malta — 12 November 2025
A Maltese court has sentenced 33-year-old Mouhamadou Dosso — an Ivorian national who also holds an Italian identity card — to 10 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of distributing extremist propaganda and recruiting individuals in Europe for jihadist militant activity.
Dosso was arrested in November 2024 following a joint investigation into online radicalisation efforts. Police surveillance revealed that he managed several mobile phones used to contact and encourage vulnerable asylum-seekers to join extremist causes. One message presented in court read: “We are recruiting volunteers to the jihad. If you die in this fight you will go to heaven.
Court documents further disclosed that Dosso’s devices contained images and material linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including photos of its leaders and symbols. However, prosecutors did not present evidence that Dosso was a direct member of the group, nor did the court determine if he successfully recruited anyone to commit attacks.
The sentencing marks one of Malta’s most serious prosecutions for terrorism-related propaganda and recruitment, signalling the island nation’s enhanced vigilance against digital radicalisation networks operating across Europe.
The court ordered confiscation of the electronic devices used in the offence and directed internet service providers hosting the extremist material to remove it from circulation. A portion of the sentence took into account Dosso’s guilty plea, entered before the formal Bill of Indictment was issued.
The case serves as a reminder of the evolving threat posed by online recruitment channels targeting displaced and isolated individuals in Europe, and highlights the necessity for stronger international cooperation in tracking and dismantling these networks.
Dalena Reporters — Where facts meet clarity and consequence.