Five out of 14 Pakistanis arrested in Spain on charges of inciting violence through WhatsApp groups were released by Spanish authorities while one woman was granted bail by a court on Monday.
Further releases of Pakistani nationals are also expected soon, according to diplomatic sources.
Spanish authorities arrested 10 Pakistani nationals in Barcelona on terrorism-related charges, accusing them of encouraging killings and beheadings of opponents through the social media app.
According to international media, the arrests were made in a joint operation between Spain’s National Police and Italian law enforcement.
An additional suspect was detained in the Italian city of Piacenza.
According to officials, the suspects are allegedly connected to an organised criminal group that issued violent orders through messaging groups. The purported leader of this group is identified as a 55-year-old Pakistani citizen. The organisation is reportedly associated with the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan.
These latest arrests, conducted overnight on March 3, follow previous crackdowns in 2022 and 2023, bringing the total number of suspects in the case to 30.
Authorities stated that the group’s operations were based in Spain, with its alleged leader being a 55-year-old Pakistani national.
Investigators linked the group to an extremist network that used encrypted messaging platforms to share violent directives and praise attacks in Europe and Pakistan over blasphemy allegations. Some members had reportedly begun identifying potential targets across Europe.
Officials also uncovered a separate online group led by a detained woman, consisting solely of female members, allegedly involved in spreading extremist propaganda and assisting in target selection.
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Authorities stated that the network was self-funded, with members regularly contributing to finance its activities.
The 10 suspects appeared before Spain’s Central Investigative Court No. 6 on March 6, facing charges of terrorist financing, recruitment, and inciting extremism.
The court ordered the detention of four individuals while investigations against the remaining suspects continue.
Despite the group’s operations within Spain, police emphasised that no direct links to other international terrorist networks have been established so far.
