Elvis Elezi
Elvis Elezi was born in 1994 and lived in the province of Turin. He was the nephew of Elezi Alban, with whom he maintained close ties. Within radical circles, he was sometimes described as a spiritual guide, with Halili Elmahdi referring to him as a father figure who had introduced him to Islamic doctrine.
Elvis came under investigation under the operation “Balkan Conncections’’ for terrorism-related crimes under articles 110, 56 and 270 quater of the Italian penal code. Together with his uncle Alban and with Caca Zamir, he was accused of attempting to recruit Anas El Abboubi and Mahmoud Ben Ammar into the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State or Daesh. His role was largely that of a recruiter through online channels. He sought out possible candidates via social networks, exchanging messages and sharing jihadist propaganda to test their willingness to join the cause. He circulated videos glorifying the Islamic State, such as “The Light Revelation Pt (Syria: Stories of Conquest),” and engaged in Facebook chats and private conversations with young sympathizers.
The case of Mahmoud Ben Ammar was central. Between 2014 and 2015, Elvis repeatedly tried to persuade Ben Ammar to travel to Albania, where his uncle and others would arrange passage to Syria. In April 2014 he told Alban that there was “another brother ready to go,” understood to be Ben Ammar. Despite these efforts, Ben Ammar expressed uncertainty and never departed. Elvis also contacted the administrator of a Facebook group named Shteti Islam I Irakut She Shamit – ISIS, asking whether it was possible to receive “brothers” who wished to come and help. He maintained ties with El Abboubi Anas, who in September 2013 attempted to travel from Bari to Durres but was stopped; records show that during this time El Abboubi was in communication with Elvis, Alban, and Halili.
Elvis was arrested and placed in custody in 2015 for the attempted recruitment of Ben Ammar. The Court of Review in Brescia annulled the detention order in April 2015, ordering his release. In September of the same year, the Court of Cassation confirmed that while there were indicators of ideological adherence to the Islamic State, there was insufficient evidence of an actual ability to carry out recruitment. The charge of attempted recruitment of Ben Ammar remained the main allegation against him. The overall picture of Elvis is that of a young man ideologically radicalized, engaged in propaganda and in the pursuit of contacts with aspiring jihadists. Though he lacked demonstrated logistical capacity, he tried to build recruitment channels through his uncle in Albania and the networks surrounding him.
