Prague, Dec 1 (CTK) – The risks arising from Islamist radicalism and activities of international terrorist groups are rather low in the Czech Republic at present and a possible terrorist attack would rather be perpetrated by a lone individual, a national security audit, published by the Czech Government Office on Thursday, has found.
The audit was commissioned by Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) in reaction to the terrorist attacks in Europe last year.
A 17-page part of the audit speaks about terrorism, describing its potential perpetrators and places of attack, an analysis of the problem and its solutions.
The audit said an attack by international terrorist organisations is not very likely, but it cannot be ruled out that individuals or small groups will be radicalised. They may be inspired by radical Islam and try to make a violent attack, the audit said.
A similar situation can occur with people who have embraced leftist or rightist extremism, the audit said.
“It can be presumed that a possible terrorist attack in the Czech Republic can have the character of a plot by a lone individual or minor group,” it added.
“It may be inspired by the activities of international terrorist groups, but it may not have any direct link to them,” the audit said.
The “lone wolves” pose a medium risk of a threat. The same is true of the foreigners who return from the places of war conflicts. It turned out in the past that in some cases they return to Europe via the Czech Republic, it added.
From the viewpoint of the target of a possible attack, there is the medium option that terrorists will attack the vital national infrastructure.
The places where many people meet or that have a large symbolic value are also threatened.
The kidnapping of Czechs abroad or attacks on Czech houses and institutions abroad may also pose a risk, the audit said.
As one of the solutions, the audit proposes changes to the legislation suggesting the use of information from intelligence services as evidence in court, changes in the expulsion of foreigners and asylum rules as well as more checks of the cross-border transport of money.
The non-public antiterrorism package also suggests non-legislative proposals that are to help combat terrorism. The documents were approved by the government before the audit was published this year.
