The emails between Abdulrahman Alcharbati, 31, pictured, and the social media giant’s moderators were read out to a jury, showing how easily he was able to have his suspended account reinstated over and over again
Facebook reactivated the account of a terror suspect no fewer than six times – even as he continued posting sickening ISIS propaganda videos, a court heard yesterday.
The emails between Abdulrahman Alcharbati, 31, and the social media giant’s moderators were read out to a jury, showing how easily he was able to have his suspended account reinstated over and over again.
When Alchabarti was arrested months later he was found to be in possession of a detailed bomb-making manual, Newcastle Crown Court heard.
On the first occasion his account, on which he had 6,400 friends and followers, was taken down he was told it would be permanent and would not be reactivated ‘for any reason.’
But following a series of angry emails to Facebook – including one which said: ‘You will stand in front of the Creator Allah The All Merciful and will have to answer for your doing’ – they relented and he was able to keep posting videos glorifying ISIS.
Among the clips he posted was one showing three Syrian soldiers being beaten by a baying mob and dragged to their deaths behind motorbikes in the city of Raqqa.
Between January 24th and February 26th last year he was found to have posted 386 times, with 70 of them found to refer directly to Islamic State and 40 referring to martyrdom in their name.
On February 8th last year, between 1.45am and 10.49am, Alcharbati was found to have posted six videos that were produced by ISIS on his open Facebook page.
The first showed the soldiers being killed while a crowd was ‘whipped into a frenzy’ by the ISIS killers.
Another video showed child soldiers undergoing training to join ISIS and urged people ‘join the caravan of the Caliphate and live under its shelter.’
There was footage of a suicide bomber driving away before detonating a car packed with explosives and the Arabic message ‘Drink death with happiness’ emblazoned over it.
Another urged those watching: ‘Get an American or French Kafir (disbeliever) and whack them with a rock, cut their throat with a knife, crush them with a car, suffocate or poison them, do not fail.’
Police obtained a search warrant on the basis of the videos and arrested Alcharbati at his family home in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, on May 3rd last year.
A search found a mobile phone which had a bomb-making manual downloaded onto it with specific step-by-step instructions on how to make suicide bomber vests, it is alleged.
On December 20th 2016 a Facebook ‘community operations analyst’ who called himself ‘Bobs’ first contacted Alcharbati to tell him his account was being permanently disabled
Alcharbati replied by email: ‘I was not harming others or threatening anyone through violence. I don’t support any violent organisations. I was sharing news regarding the atrocities that is being done in Syria and no one is talking about it or doing any action.
‘I was trying to deliver the voice of all those children killed by terrorism of those organisations. I am a very peaceful and respectful member of society and by you disabling my account you have taken from me years of my life.
The case is being heard at Newcastle Crown Court, pictured (stock photo)
‘I have work on my account. I have picture of my … continues professionals development that I use to prove for my route to be a Chartered Engineer. By permanently closing my account you have put me in a hard dilemma and you have frozen my career if not destroyed it.
‘All I was doing was delivering the voice of those children killed by the terrorist. I was sharing such content to explain to the world the current situation and why there are so many unexplained and unjustified terrorism. Please you have to have some common sense and understand where I come from and what I have been through. ‘
Facebook replied: ‘We’ve reviewed your account and determined that it hasn’t followed the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities. The violation of these terms has resulted in permanent loss of your account.
‘One of our main priorities is the comfort and safety of the people who use Facebook, and we don’t allow credible threats to harm others, support for violent organisations or exceedingly graphic content on Facebook.’
However after Alcharbati sent a flurry of emails expressing his outrage at his account being disabled, Facebook relented six times between December 2016 and March 15th last year when his account was finally taken down for good.
Their administrators told him:’ After reviewing your appeal we have reactivated your account. Please keep in mind that one of our main priorities is the comfort and safety of the people who use Facebook.
‘We do not allow credible threats to harm others, support for violent organisations or let exceedingly graphic content live on Facebook.’
The court heard Alcharbati sent numerous emails complaining the suspension of his account was affecting his freedom of speech and his career.
On January 12th he wrote: ‘By closing my Facebook account arbitrarily without any consideration to the consequences you have implemented on me is causing a great financial and social damage to myself, family and career.’
On February 11th he wrote to the administrator: ‘So sharing news regarding the continuous onslaught and ethnic cleansing of Muslim Sunnis around the world. And the killing of babies and children is against your terms and conditions?
‘You are participating indirectly in these crimes, by covering the truth and hiding evidence that condemn those criminals who kill innocent babies!!
‘You have disabled my account completely for more than 6 days!!!! and now I am not allowed to post and expose all those crimes again infants!!!!!!
‘Please have come mercy in your hearts Allah will hold you responsible for your actions.’
On February 15th Alcharbati wrote: ‘By disabling my post right on Facebook you are participating directly in hiding evidence that condemn those who are involved in ethnic cleansing, children rape (paedophilia), rape of adults, torture and numerous other atrocities that I can’t even mention on my message to you.’
He concluded: ‘Please have mercy, compassion, morals, dignity and honour and don’t be participants in these horrible atrocities because history will not forget and will not forgive.
‘And at the end you will stand in front of the Creator Allah The All Merciful and will have to answer for your doing.’
Alcharbati denies six counts of disseminating terrorist material and one count of possessing a document containing information likely to be of use to a person preparing or committing an act of terrorism.
The trial continues.
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