Von Einzeltätern mit einem dschihadistischen Hintergrund und von Rechtsextremisten gehe weiterhin grosse Terror-Gefahr aus, schreibt Europol in ihrem neusten Terrorismus-Jahresbericht.
Der Terrorismus-Bericht 2022 gibt eine Übersicht über die Lage im vergangenen Jahr und weist auch auf Tendenzen und Entwicklungen hin.
Radikale Gruppen missbrauchen nach Beobachtung der Expertinnen und Experten die Corona-Pandemie als Rechtfertigung für Extremismus und für ihre Propaganda.
Key findings
- 15 completed, foiled and failed terrorist attacks were recorded in the EU in 2021. The four completed attacks included three jihadist terrorist attacks and one left-wing terrorist attack.
- EU law enforcement authorities arrested 388 suspects for terrorism-related offences in 2021. Of these, more than two thirds (260) were carried out following investigations into jihadist terrorism offences in Austria, France and Spain.
- Court proceedings concluded in 2021 resulted in 423 convictions for terrorist offences.
- Lone actors remain the primary perpetrators of terrorist and violent extremist attacks in Europe. However, attack plots involving several actors were also disrupted in 2021. Individuals carrying out attacks alone have been associated mainly with jihadist terrorism and right-wing terrorism and violent extremism.
- In 2021, weaponry was used in the completed terrorist attacks that is relatively easy to source and does not require extensive skills for assemblage or use. Weapons used in attacks in the EU in 2021 included bladed weapons, vehicles (in ramming attacks) and improvised incendiary devices.
- Terrorist propaganda disseminated online in 2021 has continued to reflect themes related to COVID-19. The increased amount of time spent online due to COVID-19 restrictions, amongst other reasons, constitutes a risk factor in vulnerable individuals’ potential pathway to extremism.
- Violent anti-COVID-19 and anti-government extremism, which is not affiliated with traditional violent extremist and terrorist activities, emerged in some Member States and non-EU countries. Such forms of violent extremism materialised in open threats, hateful messages spread online and, in some cases, the use of violence.
- Geopolitical developments in key regions outside of the EU influence terrorist narratives and propaganda spread in Member States. The current terrorist threat for Member States appears not to have been directly affected by the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan. However, it increased global attention on religiously motivated insurgencies and, thereby, provided jihadists affiliated with both al-Qaeda and the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) terrorist group opportunities to promote their own narratives.
Quellenhinweis: Europol (2022), European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg.