EU to criminalize Internet-based incitement to terrorism

[Unicorn]

LUXEMBOURG--EU justice ministers on Friday agreed to criminalize incitement of acts of terrorism, including using the Internet for recruiting purposes.

The 27 EU member states agreed to introduce as new offenses "public provocation to commit a terrorist offense, recruitment, and training for terrorism" which would be punishable "also when committed through the Internet."

"The amendment is well-balanced in terms of its effects on freedom of speech and general respect for human rights," the justice ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, said in a joint statement.

Individuals "disseminating terrorist propaganda and bomb-making expertise through the Internet can therefore be prosecuted and sentenced to prison," if that is deemed to be provocation to commit terrorist offenses.

The new legislation "will make it easier for law enforcement authorities to get cooperation from Internet service providers, to prevent crimes and identify criminals," the justice ministers said.

"It aims to equip our legal systems across the EU with the adequate tools to bring to justice the criminals who spread violent propaganda providing terrorism tactics and instructions on how to manufacture and use bombs or explosives to provoke others to commit terrorist acts."

The EU's counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove said last week that some 5,000 Internet sites "contribute to radicalizing young people in Europe."

Germany has put forward a proposal to set up a Europol Internet surveillance committee to tackle the problem.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20080418-131308/EU-to-criminalize-Internet-based-incitement-to-terrorism

[Die Neue Zeit]

^^^ What is their definition of "terrorism"? :glare:

[Unicorn]

^^^ What is their definition of "terrorism"? :glare:
Advocating violent revolution probably qualifies. Bad news for RevLeft.

[TheDifferenceEngine]

"providing terrorism tactics and instructions on how to manufacture and use bombs or explosives to provoke others to commit terrorist acts."

unless revleft starts putting up bomb making recipies then i doubt this will hurt us.

[Unicorn]

"providing terrorism tactics and instructions on how to manufacture and use bombs or explosives to provoke others to commit terrorist acts."

unless revleft starts putting up bomb making recipies then i doubt this will hurt us.
Note that the amendment criminalizes "public provocation to commit a terrorist offense".



Representatives of the EU's 27 member states formally agreed today to harmonize their respective countries' definitions of criminally prosecutable acts of terrorism by expanding them to include three new types of crimes: "public provocation to commit a terrorist offence, [terrorist] recruitment, and training for terrorism." The definition of "public provocation" was especially controversial, and it encompasses content posted on the Internet, including not only direct incitements to violence but also terrorist propaganda and bomb-making expertise.

The decision wasn't without controversy, and misgivings about the possible limits on freedom of expression implied in the Amendment to the 2002 Council Framework Decision on combating terrorism were aired in a round-table session on Monday. An EU Parliament report on the round-table summarized the concerns of one British representative, who recounted how British law enforcement had allegedly threatened to use anti-terror laws to arrest some of the protesters at the London leg of the Olympic torch relay. Her concern, much like those who've been raising objections to this "public provocation" language since it was proposed last year, is that the Amendment will push member states down a slippery slope toward criminalizing legitimate political expression.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080419-eu-states-agree-that-inciting-terrorism-on-the-internet-is-a-crime.html?rel

[dez]

Note that the amendment criminalizes "public provocation to commit a terrorist offense".


http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080419-eu-states-agree-that-inciting-terrorism-on-the-internet-is-a-crime.html?rel



I am a member of revleft for some time now, and i haven't seen yet a provocation to commit a terrorist offense.
I've seen people praising the ideal of a violent revolution or said terrorist organizations, but i haven't really seen direct incitement to violence.

[mykittyhasaboner]

I am a member of revleft for some time now, and i haven't seen yet a provocation to commit a terrorist offense.
I've seen people praising the ideal of a violent revolution or said terrorist organizations, but i haven't really seen direct incitement to violence.
regardless of whether or not anyone directly promotes terrorist acts, revleft would definitely be a "suspicious site" or something of the sort.

[piet11111]

i am sure the EU is willing to stretch their rules as much as required to attack all websites that they do not like.

[Qwerty Dvorak]

Em, I really think the EU have bigger things to worry about than RevLeft. No European state has any major problem with left-wing movements at the moment, and the EU are pretty liberal as far as capitalist governments go. The law is probably aimed at Islamists in France and fascists in Germany.

[dez]

regardless of whether or not anyone directly promotes terrorist acts, revleft would definitely be a "suspicious site" or something of the sort.

If you are only a suspect of a crime, you don't do time.

Anyway, rightwingers already see revleft as a "suspicious" website.
I acessed it from my school and it was blocked.


Em, I really think the EU have bigger things to worry about than RevLeft. No European state has any major problem with left-wing movements at the moment, and the EU are pretty liberal as far as capitalist governments go. The law is probably aimed at Islamists in France and fascists in Germany.


I would say it is aimed at Islamists in the whole of europe. Period.

[AGITprop]

Even if this is bad news for Revleft,
its all the more reason to get off our computers and go organize!

[piet11111]

Em, I really think the EU have bigger things to worry about than RevLeft. No European state has any major problem with left-wing movements at the moment, and the EU are pretty liberal as far as capitalist governments go. The law is probably aimed at Islamists in France and fascists in Germany.

probably but the EU has thousands of people working for them and all it takes is 1 person to put revleft on their list and forward it to the people that are putting the sites down.

[RedAnarchist]

I assume they haven't made the list of targeted sites available?