On top of the 22 years of jailtime and a ban from leaving South Korea, controversial Youtuber Johnny Somali could be facing terrorism charges as well.
Somali, real name Ramsey Khalid Ismael, has earned South Korea’s wrath at this point, after posting videos showing his chaotic behavior on the streets and his general disrespect to the country’s culture.
At the moment, the YouTuber has only been charged with obstruction of business for a chaotic convenience store stream he did, but he has a long list of alleged offenses that were still being investigated.
According to popular YouTube lawyer Legal Mindset who has been following the streams done by Somali, his latest alleged crime might land him in a precarious position.
“Johnny Somali violated both the Railway Act and Anti-Terrorism laws in this deleted video, that has now been exposed,” Legal Mindset explained.
In a deleted video that has resurfaced, Somali was on the Seoul metro while his stream’s text-to-speech kept repeating, “I have a bomb,” over and over while walking through the train.
Johnny Somali (Ramsey Khalid Ismael) violating both the Railway Act and Anti-Terrorism laws in this deleted video, that has now been exposed. pic.twitter.com/EJ04BiWROX
— Legal Mindset (@TheLegalMindset) November 19, 2024
“Stating that he has a bomb is both a public disturbance and terrorism, accordingly.” In an interview with Dexerto, Legal Mindset explained that under South Korea’s anti-terrorism laws, incitement to violence, particularly if it involves racial hatred or threats against public safety, can be considered a terrorist act and carries a max penalty of seven years in jail.
Additionally, broadcasting explicit content on a subway is considered a public disturbance and also violates the Railroad Safety Act, which could result in a maximum of two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 20 million Korean won.
“If authorities determine that Johnny’s statements posed a legitimate threat to public safety or were made with the intent to incite public violence, he could face additional penalties, including asset seizure and restrictions on communication,” Legal Mindset told Dexerto.
After leaving the train, Somali received another donation and the North Korean anthem began playing. He could already be facing legal challenges for spreading North Korean propaganda in the country, and this subway incident was yet another example of his divisive behavior.
The other charges Somali is facing includes defacing a monument meant to memorialize victims of sexual slavery in World War II, and alleged drug use that comes with a maximum penalty of 10 years, as well as possession of a sexually explicit deepfakes of other individuals.
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