The recent ISIS terrorist attack in Vienna was a reminder of the threat posed
by the ongoing presence of extremist Islamist networks in Europe. The al


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CEP Webinar: The State And Foreign (Terrorist) Fighters With Islamist And
Right-Wing Extremist Backgrounds

(New York, N.Y./Berlin) – The recent ISIS terrorist attack in Vienna was a
reminder of the threat posed by the ongoing presence of extremist Islamist
networks in Europe. The alleged perpetrator identified as Kujtim Fejzulai—a
wannabe foreign terrorist fighter (FTF), who attempted to join ISIS in Syria as
late as 2018—seems to have been a member of such a network in Austria. Fejzulai
conducted his attack after serving a prison sentence for his attempt to join
ISIS but was granted early release. This underscores the threat emanating from
radicalized terrorist prisoners who might re-engage in terrorist activities
upon release. Moreover, Fejzulai’s unsuccessful attempt to travel to Syria once
again puts the issue of ISIS FTF returnees, releasees, or wannabes in the
spotlight of European counterterrorism efforts.

 

The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) continues its ongoing series of events
focusing on foreign (terrorist) fighters from various ideological backgrounds.
During this webinar, CEP will take stock of how different Western European
states address the ongoing issue of the FTFs and returnees. What programs and
strategies have states developed and how could their policies be improved? What
can we expect as more and more convicted terrorists from ISIS’s peak in
2015-2016 are completing their prison sentences and are scheduled to be
released?

 

Finally, it is useful to contrast the experience of addressing the issue of
extremist Islamist FTFs with that of returnee foreign fighters who have a
violent extreme right-wing background. These individuals were involved in the
conflict in Ukraine and returned home often facing little to no legal
repercussions. What are the current policies addressing this issue? Are they
effective, can they be improved upon, and what can we expect in the future?

 

Contrasting the two Western experiences will offer a comparative outlook on
how states address the issue of their citizens deploying to foreign conflicts
and the inherent long term threats connected to the phenomenon of foreign
(terrorist) fighters after they return home.

 

This event will be conducted in English via Zoom on November 30, 2020 at 10:00
a.m. ET / 16:00 CET.

 

Speakers:

 

Tanya Mehra, Senior Project Leader / Senior Research Fellow, International
Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT)

Current European repatriation and prosecution policies for returning extremist
Islamist FTFs

 

Kacper Rekawek, Associated Researcher at CEP and Associated Fellow at GLOBSEC

Current European policies dealing with returned extreme right-wing foreign
fighters

 

Moderator:

Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director, CEP

 

If you would like to take part in this event, please register at this link:

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Please feel free to forward this invitation to your contacts and colleagues
with an interest in the subject.

 

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