Czech Authorities Arrest Five Teenagers Over Online Radicalisation
Czech law enforcement has taken five teenagers into custody on suspicions that they were radicalised online by members of the so‐called Islamic State militant group. Two of the youths are facing charges related to terror offenses after allegedly attempting to set a synagogue on fire last year.
Břetislav Brejcha, head of the nation’s counterterrorism, extremism, and cybercrime department, explained that most of those detained are under 18. The arrests, made between February and June as part of an international investigation launched last year, also included a case from 29 January 2024 in Brno, where two individuals reportedly tried to ignite a synagogue.
Media reports from February 2024 indicated that a firebomb was placed in front of the synagogue; however, it failed to explode. The charges against the two implicated teenagers cover hate crimes, promoting and supporting terrorism, alongside an attempted terror attack.
Authorities noted that all of the suspects were active in online groups aimed at recruiting fighters for IS militants operating in Syria. The investigation received support from counterparts in Austria, the United Kingdom, Slovakia, and Europol. During a series of seven raids in both the Czech Republic and Austria, police confiscated various weapons, including knives, machetes, and axes.
Michal Koudelka, head of the Czech counterintelligence agency, added that the five suspects demonstrated a disturbing fascination with violence and expressed hostility toward Jews, LGBTQ+ communities, and other groups. He explained that the youths were contacted online by Islamic State members, which led to their radicalisation. “We consider the online radicalisation of youth a very dangerous trend,” Koudelka warned, noting that the suspects appeared disconnected from the local Muslim community.
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