A terror suspect was allowed to post ISIS videos on Facebook after repeatedly persuading the website to re-enable his account, a court has heard.
Abdulrahman Alcharbati, 31, is accused of posted several propaganda videos, including those of executions and children being brainwashed to fight.
One clip encouraged attacks against Westerners and urged jihadists ‘wack them with a rock, cut his throat with a knife or crush him with a car’.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that the posts were taken down by Facebook administrators for breaching user guidelines.
However they were regularly reinstated after Alcharbati ‘persuaded Facebook to re-enable his account and carried on posting the same material’.
When the 31-year-old was arrested at his home in Sunderland in May, he told officials that he was ‘just posting the news’….
A trained civil engineer originally from Syria, he graduated from Sunderland University in 2016.
Alcharbati, who had worked for the firm Capita, made 110 references to martyrdom and ISIS from January 24 and February 26 last year.
He also had a copy of a manual titled ‘Easy Explosives’ on how to make improvised explosive devices and suicide bomb vests on his mobile phone.
The married father denies six counts of dissemination of a terrorist publication and one of possessing a document containing terrorist information.
Alcharbati, who has bipolar disorder, denied having extremist views and claimed he was discourage [sic] others….
But the web giant relented on successive appeals.
In one email Alcharbati said: “Allah will hold you responsible for your actions.”
One video saw a suicide bomber blow up a car while another urged jihadists to cut Westerners’ throats with a knife.
Facebook made his suspension permanent last March.
Two months later police raided his house and allegedly found a bomb manual on his phone with instructions on making suicide vests.
The civil engineer, of Sunderland, denies disseminating and possessing terrorist material.
Muslim migrant refused to answer police when asked if he supported the Islamic State
A jury has heard how a civil engineering worker accused of posting Isis videos on his Facebook page avoided answering if he supported the group when first interviewed by police.
Abdulrahman Alcharbati made 110 references to martyrdom and the proscribed terrorist organisation on his open social media profile and, in the space of one day last February, posted links to six videos.
The married dad, who is originally from Syria, had a copy of a manual titled Easy Explosives 4th edition on how to make improvised explosive devices, specifically suicide bomb vests, downloaded onto his mobile phone.
When the 31-year-old was arrested at his home in Noble Street, Sunderland, last May he told officials: “I just posted the news.”
During the second day of his evidence, prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds told Newcastle Crown Court how Alcharbati’s answers about Isis during his first three police interviews were different to those given when he later received legal representation.
Mr Pawson-Pounds asked Alcharbati why he appeared to avoid answering whether he supported Islamic State during the earlier interviews.
Alcharbati said: “I thought I was being asked about the different terrorist factions in Syria.
“I mustn’t have understood the person who was asking the question, they didn’t specifically ask me do you support Islamic State.
“They are a terrorist organisation, they did a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom. I respect the rules of the United Kingdom. I’m living in the United Kingdom.”
Alcharbati later went on to say that he didn’t have his bipolar medication during the interviews and he was very confused.
‘I don’t class the people who are fighting as terrorists’
When he was asked by Mr Pawson-Pounds if he supports Islamic State, Alcharbati said: “Of course I don’t sir, they are a terrorist organisation, sir. In the interview I was under so much pressure I didn’t understand the questions asked to me.”
Mr Pawson-Pounds asked Alcharbati why he did not ask for an interpreter and pointed out how his masters degree was taught in English.
Alcharbati replied: “I should have asked for an interpreter, sir.”
When asked by Mr Pawson-Pounds if he believed President Assad and those who support him are evil, Alcharbati replied: “The government, yes sir.”
Alcharbati agreed when Mr Pawson-Pounds asked him if Islamic State fight against President Assad.
Mr Pawson-Pounds asked Alcharbati if he believed Syrians or people fighting with them on their side have no other choice but to use suicide bombs and create martyrs against President Assad, his government, his soldiers and his officers and if it is justified.
Alcharbati replied by saying: “In my personal opinion, yes sir.”
When Mr Pawson-Pounds asked if it was to be celebrated, Alcharbati replied: “Yes sir. Just the people of Syria not the terrorists.
“The people of Syria have no food or water, nothing to defend themselves against these massacres.
“I don’t class the people who are fighting as terrorists, never, ever sir.”
Alcharbati later backtracked when asked again about celebrating suicide attacks.
He said: “I said martyrdom in general not suicide attacks.
“I said you corner them into a corner and they would kill themselves. But I didn’t say celebrate them. I said celebrate martyrdom, the Syrian people.
“If you put them in a corner without weapons and food the result would be they would blow themselves up. I would excuse them for that.
“It would be a very, very sad thing sir. Why would I celebrate it sir?”
When asked if the actions of the suicide bombers in one for the videos he posted were justified he replied, “No sir.”….
Mr Pawson-Pounds asked Alcharbati why he told Facebook, after they blocked his account, that he had contacted other organisations such as change.org and threatened them with legal action.
Alcharbati said: “I’m thinking of myself, how I am going to solve the world problems.
“I thought of myself as the one who was going to save the world, sir.”
Alcharbati told the court during evidence he was not aware that having the explosives manual on his mobile phone was illegal….
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