UN terrorism council warns new pandemic restrictions raise risk of radicalisation

Two-year review of Covid-19 impact on terrorism urges nations to ‘prioritise’ regulating new technologies

Nations are being warned new pandemic restrictions will raise the risk of radicalisation in fragile communities, according to a new UN report.

The UN’s Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) has been examining the impact of Covid-19 on global terrorism over the past two years.

In its latest report, the CTED said pandemic-related conspiracy theories were continuing to “fuel” divisions, which terrorist groups would exploit.

It warned states to regulate the use of new technologies amid concerns new pandemic restrictions will lead to a rise in radicalisation.

“Pandemic-related conspiracy theories and mis/dis-information will continue to fuel a situation that is conducive to societal divisions, a rise in hate speech and anti-democratic movements, and distrust in governments and state institutions,” the report said.

“Terrorist groups across ideological spectrums are already seeking to exploit social alienation and grievances rising from pandemic-related measures and perceived state excesses by weaponising those divisions.

“As new pandemic-related social restrictions result in closures of educational institutions, reduced employment and entertainment opportunities, and curtailed community programmes, there are concerns that resilience against violent extremism conducive to terrorism in fragile communities might be reduced, thereby making individuals more vulnerable to radicalisation to violence in such settings.

“In this altered geopolitical landscape, understanding and regulating the use of new technologies to prevent abuse by terrorist and violent extremist groups remains a priority.”

It also warned that the unequal distribution of vaccines globally could “be exploited by terrorists and violent extremist groups in the future”.

Restriction measures to curb the spread of the virus, are also a cause for concern it said, and warned against the use of terrorism powers to prosecute people for Covid-19 breaches.

“Member states must continue to uphold human rights while developing and implementing policies to contain the pandemic and avoid creating or exacerbating grievances by suppressing fundamental freedoms of individuals,” it said.

Moroccan special forces guard a building during a counter-terrorism operation in Temara, on the outskirts of Rabat, in September 2020. Reuters

“In this regard, states need to ensure that pandemic-related social restrictions (including restrictions of human rights through the use of emergency powers) are strictly required by the exigencies of the situation, implemented fairly in a non-discriminatory manner and, most importantly, temporally limited.

“The proliferation of emergency measures and the curtailing of civil liberties have raised questions about state overreach which, if left unchecked, has the potential to exacerbate existing grievances and may be exploited by terrorists and violent extremists.

“The increased securitisation of pandemic responses – leading to arrests, detentions, and extortion of civilians; the deployment of counter-terrorism tools and measures to implement pandemic-related restrictions; and the use of terrorism charges to prosecute Covid-19-related offences – remains a significant source of concern.”

The report has also revealed how some pandemic-related relief efforts have been used for terrorism-financing purposes.

On Monday, the new Omicron variant had spread to more than 77 countries as the US chief medical adviser Dr Anthony Fauci warned the variant was now "raging around the world".

The Netherlands has announced it is reentering a strict lockdown over Christmas and New Year as it tries to slow the spread of the highly-contagious Omicron variant.

Other European countries, such as France, Germany and Ireland, have also announced new restrictions.