Indian police arrest suspect behind pro-Islamic State tweets
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 13 December 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Indian police arrest suspect behind pro-Islamic State tweets, 13 December 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/54be12ea1c.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 13, 2014
Police in southern India said on December 13 that they have arrested a man who has admitted to handling a popular Twitter account supporting the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
Mehdi Masroor Biswas, 24, was being questioned by authorities, a Bangalore senior police officer told reporters.
The official said police have no evidence so far that shows Biswas had any direct links to IS militants or any other radical Muslim extremist group.
The Twitter account, @ShamiWitness, had more than 17,000 followers until it was shut down following a report by Britain's Channel 4 News on December 11.
Channel 4 said tweets from @ShamiWitness contained jihadist propaganda as well as information for would-be recruits and messages praising fallen fighters as martyrs.
Bangalore police said they had seized Biswas's phone, computer, and other documents for further investigation.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
