ROME (AP) — Police in Rome say they have issued a new arrest warrant for an inmate who allegedly tried to radicalize fellow Muslims in Italian prisons.
Mauro Fabozzi, who heads Rome's anti-terrorism police unit, alleged Tuesday that 34-year-old Saber Hmidi carried out "aggression" toward Catholic inmates and exulted after Islamist extremists attacks in Europe.
Hmidi, who is from Tunisia, was arrested in 2014 after pointing a gun at a police officer during a traffic stop in Italy. He is serving a sentence of 3 years and 8 months.
Authorities alleged in the new warrant Tuesday that he belongs to Ansar-al-Sharia terror group. Hmidi now risks being tried on terrorism charges.
Italy has launched a program to aggressively monitor Muslim prison inmates for signs of radicalization.