ANNEX 1: OVERVIEW OF THE FAILED,
FOILED AND COMPLETED ATTACKS IN
2014 PER EU MEMBER STATE AND
PER AFFILIATION
In 2014, seven EU Member States reported a total of 201 terrorist
attacks, which resulted in the death of four people and the injury of
six. The total number of terrorist incidents continued to decrease
in all EU countries except the United Kingdom, where they tripled
since 2013. The UK attacks represent more than half of the total
number of terrorist incidents in the EU for the reporting period.
Spain and Italy experienced an increase in the number of arson
attacks, compared to last year in which criminal damage accounted
for the majority of incidents.
The number of attacks targeting critical infrastructure increased
from one to eight.
One attack classified as religiously inspired terrorism was
reported by Belgium. Four people were killed in the incident. One
other religiously inspired attack was reported by France.
Terrorist attacks linked to separatist terrorism continued to
decrease for the third consecutive year, falling from 167 in 2012, to
84 in 2013 and to 67 in 2014. All incidents for the reporting period
occurred in Spain and France (17 and 50 respectively).
A total of 13 attacks related to left wing and anarchist terrorism
occurred in 2014. The number is the lowest since 2006. The
incidents were reported by Greece (6), Italy (6) and Spain (1). As
in previous years (except 2013), arson remains the most frequent
modus operandi for left wing and anarchist terrorist groups.
One attack classified as single-issue terrorism has been reported
by Italy and no right-wing terrorist incident has occurred in 2014.
ANNEX 2: ARRESTS IN 2014 PER EU
MEMBER STATE AND PER AFFILIATION
In 2014,
774 individuals were arrested for terrorism related
offences in 16 EU Member States. This was a 43% increase
compared to 2013 (535 arrests). Most arrests were reported by
France (238), Spain (145) and the United Kingdom (132). The number of arrests for religiously inspired terrorism continued to
rise, a trend that has been observed since 2011, whereas arrests
for separatist terrorism continued to decrease.
„ Almost half of the arrests (48%) were for membership of a
terrorist organisation, whereas 22% was related to travelling
to conflict zones, 13% for carrying out attacks, and 9% for
terrorist propaganda.
„ Arrests for religiously inspired terrorism continue to
represent the largest proportion of the total arrests in the
EU. Their number rose from 159 (2012), to 216 (2013), to
395 (2014). The rise was due to the increased number of
arrests for terrorist offences related to travelling to conflict
zones, mainly to Syria. Of the total number of arrestees for
religiously inspired terrorism, 90% were younger than 40
years old. The majority of them (44% or 172) were under
25 years of age, a number almost twice as large as that of the arrestees under 25 years in 2013.
There was also a dramatic
increase in the number of women arrested for religiously
inspired terrorism. In 2014, there were 52 female arrestees
compared to only six in 2013.
„ The number of arrests for ethno-nationalist and separatist
terrorism continued to decrease from 257 in 2012, to 180 in
2013, to 149 in 2014. The age of the majority of the arrestees
was between 41 and 50. In 2014, 28 women were arrested
for separatist terrorism compared to 18 in 2013.
„ A total of 54 individuals were arrested for anarchist and
left-wing terrorism offences in 2014 in four EU Member
States (Spain, Greece, Italy and France). There was an
increase compared to previous years, from 24 in 2012, to 49
in 2013 and to 54 in 2014. The number of arrests in Spain
increased significantly from 15 in 2013 to 36 in 2014. People
arrested for anarchist and left-wing propaganda accounted
for 35% of the total number of arrestees.
„ Arrests related to right-wing terrorism increased from 10
in 2012, to 3 in 2013 and to 34 in 2014.
ANNEX 3: CONVICTIONS
AND PENALTIES (EUROJUST)
Number of individuals in concluded court proceedings for
terrorist offences per EU Member State in 2012, 2013, 23
and 2014,24 as reported to Eurojust
„ In 2014, 15 EU Member States reported to have concluded a
total of 180 court proceedings on terrorism-related charges.
„ The relevant court proceedings concluded in 2014 involved
444 individuals. Six of those individuals appeared in court
several times for different offences. As a result, the total
number of verdicts pronounced for terrorism-related
offences in 2014 amounts to 452.
„ In 2014, there were 72 female defendants in the concluded
court proceedings for terrorist offences.
„ In 2014, Spain was the Member State with the highest
number of concluded court proceedings for terrorist
offences. Spain remains also the country where the majority
of terrorism verdicts were rendered.
In 2014, there was also an increase in the number of individuals
convicted or acquitted for terrorist offences by the courts of
Belgium, Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom; this number
on the other hand decreased in France and the Czech Republic.
For the first time in 2014 Croatia, Finland and Slovakia reported a
terrorism-related court decision to Eurojust.
„ In 2014 separatist terrorism continued to be the dominant
type of terrorism in the concluded court proceedings.
„ The vast majority of separatist terrorism verdicts were
pronounced in Spain.
„ As in 2013, all court decisions pronounced in Austria and
the Czech Republic in 2014 concerned religiously inspired
terrorism. Also the verdicts pronounced in the Netherlands
and Finland in 2014 concerned religiously inspired
terrorism only. In Greece all relevant verdicts related to leftwing
terrorism, while Belgium and France were the only
Member States that reported right-wing terrorism verdicts.
„ A large part of the female defendants in the concluded
court proceedings in 2014 appeared in court in relation
to separatist terrorism acts, which confirms a tendency
observed in recent years.
„ Left-wing terrorism verdicts in 2014 received the highest
average prison sentence (14 years). This average decreased
compared to 2013 (18 years). The average prison sentence
given for separatist and religiously inspired terrorist
offences in 2014 remained the same as in 2013 (13 years
and four years respectively).
„ In 2014, all reported terrorism-related prosecutions in
Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany,
Greece and the Slovak Republic resulted in convictions.
„ Germany is the only Member State that has reported no
acquittals in the period 2010-2014. With an acquittal rate
of 5%, France could also be considered as having very
successful prosecutions for terrorist offences.
„ In 2014 acquittals constituted 24% of all verdicts
pronounced for terrorist offences.27
27 In one case in Lithuania the Supreme Court reverted the 2013 acquittal ruled by
the Court of Appeal and returned the case for trial at the Court of Appeal. The
verdict is included in the numbers as an acquittal pending re-trial at the Court of
Appeal.
„ Twenty-eight of the 72 female defendants in the concluded
court proceedings reported in 2014 were acquitted. The
majority of the acquitted females were brought to court
on charges related to separatist terrorist acts.
„ The verdicts in relation to separatist terrorism in 2014 had
the highest acquittal rate (46%) unlike in previous years,
when the highest acquittal rate was reported for verdicts
related to left-wing terrorism. In 2014, the prosecutions
related to left-wing terrorism were the most successful as
the relevant verdicts did not contain any acquittals.
Radical Islam Monitor in Southeast Europe
