Criminological Characteristics of the Causes and Conditions of Terrorist Crimes

Abstract

Terrorism, as a social and legal phenomenon, is one of the most dangerous challenges both for the Russian Federation and the global community. It is acquiring more and more diverse forms and its scale is threatening. Russian legislators describe terrorism as an ideology of violence and a practice of influencing the decision-making of bodies of power at different levels or of international organizations through the intimidation of people and (or) other forms of illegal violent acts. The article is devoted to the criminological description of the causes and conditions of terrorist activities. The authors note that the emergence of terrorism has certain historical prerequisites. The causes and conditions of terrorist activities are connected with both internal and external (political, economic, religious, psychological) factors, including those common for all countries. The key factors that produce terrorism at present are, according to the authors, the severe character and complexity of various social and political contradictions. Another factor, or rather the consequence of the first one, is wars and armed conflicts. It is noted that one of the reasons for the persistence of modern terrorism (both its ideology and infrastructure) are gaps in international and national legislations. Besides, there are contradictions between states in their assessment of terrorists and their definition of terrorism. According to the authors, the absence of the concept «terrorism» in corresponding international legal documents is one of the reasons for the existing situation and for its escalation as the number of terrorist acts increases. The authors stress that the subjective reason for terrorist activities is the motivation of its subjects. It is a subjective reflection of the possible complex of objective causes and existing contradictions. The authors conclude that the «multifaceted character» of terrorism makes it possible to single out comprehensive causes and conditions of terrorist activities, however, the researchers present its typical manifestations.