Abstract
This paper presents a development overview of prevention strategies in a federalist context. It builds on the results of the study on the backgrounds of jihadist radicali-sation and the prevention strategies adopted in Switzerland (Eser Davolio and Re-ther 2019) as well as the measures outlined in the Swiss National Action Plan to Prevent and Counter Radicalisation. The methodological approach comprises de-scriptive quantitative data analyses of the different backgrounds of radicalisation and qualitative analyses of the prevention agencies and their strategies. This paper examines three such prevention and intervention agencies: counselling services, which have been set up in various cities and cantons for the universal and selective prevention of extremism in general and jihadist radicalisation in particular; com-munity policing by the cantonal and municipal police; and, on the level of preven-tion, the Swiss penal system facing radicalised persons in legal procedures and in prison. The prevention and intervention measures implemented by these agencies will be analysed, assessing whether they are adequate in view of the findings on the backgrounds of radicalisation. Focussing on jihadist radicalisation in Switzerland – a problem area with relatively limited evidence but at the same time of national se-curity relevance – we have to consider the federalist context with its own challenges and aspects of interferences.
Highlights
Since 2013, the advent of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria and in Iraq has caused an unprecedented global wave of jihadist radicalisation as well as an upsurge in terrorist attacks
We present the measures adopted by advice centres, community policing and the penal system, which we analysed in the framework of our commissioned study (Eser Davolio et al 2019)
The findings on the different backgrounds of jihadist radicalisation in Switzerland correspond to risk factors in other European countries (Hecker 2018, Marone and Vidino 2019). This shows that Switzerland does not represent a special case
Summary
Since 2013, the advent of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in Syria and in Iraq has caused an unprecedented global wave of jihadist radicalisation as well as an upsurge in terrorist attacks. The Swiss Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) has identified 77 individuals who have left Switzerland to join jihadist groups operating in Syria and Iraq (Merz and Saal 2019). In absolute terms, this number seems fairly small compared to other European countries (Eser Davolio et al 2015). This paper presents a development overview of prevention strategies in a federalist context It builds on the results of the study on the backgrounds of jihadist radicalisation and the prevention strategies adopted in Switzerland (Eser Davolio and Rether 2019) as well as the measures outlined in the Swiss National Action Plan to Prevent and Counter Radicalisation.
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