During the “Joint Action Day,” police and state security in Austria conducted several house searches, interrogations, and arrests to dismantle extremist networks, especially in the digital space, and to enhance security before the Christmas season. Coordinated measures also took place in Germany and Switzerland.
On Thursday, police and state security conducted 15 house searches in the domestic Islamist scene as part of an internationally coordinated action. Three people were arrested – two in Vienna, one in Tyrol – as Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced in the evening. In addition, gas pistols, firearms, ammunition, knives, numerous data carriers, and cash were seized. Parallel operations also took place in Germany and Switzerland.
As part of the “Joint Action Day” on the 10th anniversary of the Paris terrorist attacks, in which 130 people were killed and hundreds injured, nine suspect interrogations and around 100 threat addresses were conducted according to the Ministry of the Interior. Furthermore, four provisional weapon bans were imposed. Karner spoke in a video statement sent to the APA of an “intensive preventive strike,” which is likely to lead to further investigations after the evaluation of the seized data carriers. The anniversary of the Islamist attack series in Paris was used because the Islamist scene is particularly active on such days to mobilize. Of the 15 house searches, four each took place in Lower Austria and Vienna. Premises in 27 correctional facilities were also searched.
Protecting Christmas Markets
“The constitutional protection consistently acts against any form of extremism – regardless of whether it is politically or religiously motivated,” praised Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) the work of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence Service. This coordinated the operations today, on the tenth anniversary of the Paris attacks, in which 130 people were killed and hundreds injured, together with the nine state offices for state protection and extremism prevention (LSE) and the judicial authorities. In particular, security should be ensured in the run-up to the Christmas season. Christmas markets have repeatedly been targets of Islamists.
Dismantling Online Networks of Extremists
Europol was also involved through the support of the Austrian authorities in inquiries on Joint Action Day, according to the BMI. Especially in the area of Islamist extremism, where the virtual space plays a significant role and the scene is strongly networked in the German-speaking area, close cooperation between Germany, Switzerland, and Austria is essential. “In close coordination with our colleagues in Germany and Switzerland, we have succeeded in dismantling digital networks of Islamist extremists. This sustainably benefits the security of our population,” said SPÖ Justice Minister Anna Sporrer.
In Germany, there were over 50 searches conducted in all federal states except Saxony-Anhalt, Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to the German Press Agency, the accused were mainly teenagers (the youngest only 14) and young adults who had spread jihadist propaganda via platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Rocket.Chat, or Telegram. Several mobile phones and other electronic devices were confiscated from the suspects.
Teenagers Particularly at Risk
Security authorities are observing an increase in radical Islamist propaganda, especially in the digital space. These contents contribute to the rapid radicalization of young people in particular. Even posting certain extremist content or, for example, liking various posts or images can constitute a criminal offense. About half of the individuals affected by the Joint Action Day are teenagers between the ages of 14 and 19.
Internet as a “Recruitment Hotspot for Extremist Groups”
The conducted threat talks also aim to show young people the risks and consequences of a radical worldview. Radical Islamist groups are increasingly using the internet and social media for contact, recruitment, and ideology dissemination, both through publicly visible “influencer preachers” with a wide reach and through encrypted channels, closed groups, or chats in online games. Many of these actors operate from abroad and still reach a wide audience, including in the German-speaking area. “The strong increase in extremist activities in the virtual space means that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution must focus particularly on preventive work. Preventive measures, such as threat talks, reach people before they slip into closed extremist structures,” emphasized DSN Director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner. State Protection Secretary Jörg Leichtfried (SPÖ) also warned: “The internet has become a recruitment hotspot for extremist groups.”
