Albania: A Person Arrested for Inciting Terrorism

Fifty-six-year-old Kukes, according to police, is a person with extremist religious tendencies.

After the investigation conducted for several months, police say they have identified this person as hiding behind some false profiles in social networks where various writings were posted in support of the militant group, Islamic State (IS), or calls for support of the war in Syria.

The suspect is charged with criminal work “inciting, public calling and propaganda for performing acts with terrorist purposes”.

Although Albania has not been the target of terrorist attacks, a number of Albanian citizens have radicalised and fought support for the IS during the 2012 to 2016.

Authorities in Albania have reported that in 2013 alone, 144 citizens from Albania had joined this terrorist organization.

To combat this phenomenon, Albania has updated its legislation on terrorism-related activities, including participation in terrorist groups or armed conflicts abroad, and in 2015 has established the centre against violent extremism, as well as the national strategy against this phenomenon.

Albania's definition of international efforts to combat violent extremism and radicalisation leading to terrorism has been praised in the past by the US State Department.

Albania was part of the Global Coalition against Islamic State, and in recent years has focused on repatriating its citizens from areas once controlled by the IS.