BRATISLAVA, April 12, (WEBNOVINY) — There currently are no terrorists in Slovakia, but there is a risk of the country being used for transit, material, and technical support or as a safe haven after committing an act of terrorism. No direct activity of terrorist groups in Slovakia has been recorded, or of individuals or groups who might plan to commit the criminal offense of terrorism. Police have no information of preparations for a terrorist attack on Slovak territory. “The security environment in Slovakia is relatively stable and peaceful, without any imminent risks or threats,” states the proposal of the National Action Plan to Fight Terrorism 2011 – 2014, which the Ministry of Interior submitted for interdepartmental review.
Although the Muslim community in Slovakia is generally moderate, police are monitoring individuals connected to members of terrorist group, mostly the Algerian Salafist GSPC and the Kurdish separatist organization PKK, foreigners providing logistic support to former Kosovo Liberation Army members and individuals with connections to Chechen separatists. Leaders of Slovak Muslim groups avoid public expressions of radicalism; however, there are signals of the indirect influence of fundamentalism and extreme interpretations of Islam from abroad on some more radical Muslims living in Slovakia.
Individuals suspected of having ties to terrorist networks often marry to get residence permits or Slovak citizenship. Police also noted repeated abuse of asylum procedures. Illegal migration is also a risk, as members or supporters of terrorist groups could be among the migrants.
The National Action Plan to Fight Terrorism 2011 to 2014 focuses on key problems of the fight against terrorism in Slovakia, but also on suppression of military material trafficking, analyzing potential threats from religious communities in Slovakia and freezing the accounts of terrorists.
