OSCE-supported regional workshop in Malta for judges, prosecutors and investigators focuses on countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes

Countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes was the focus of a two-day regional workshop organized in Malta on 2-3 December 2015 by the OSCE in co-operation with the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ).

The workshop was held to further the co-operation with OSCE Mediterranean Partners for Co-operation and brought together judges, prosecutors and investigators. Participants exchanged experiences with each other and with international experts from Italy, the United Kingdom, Eurojust and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Representatives from private companies such as INSig2, Facebook and Western Union informed participants on their approaches to countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes. 

“Terrorists use the internet for incitement, recruitment and training, as well as for the planning, communication and execution of terrorist attacks,” said Alfred Gerth,  Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Malta. “It is of utmost importance to investigators, judges and law enforcement officers to be aware of the latest trends.  The aim is to learn the lessons from previous acts of terrorism and to be one step ahead of the perpetrators.”

Discussions concentrated on areas such as legal frameworks on countering the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes, the use of open source intelligence, and the protection and recovery of forensic data in investigations. Participants also explored good practices in investigating different components and stages of the use of the Internet for terrorist purposes.

Robert Strang, Executive Secretary at IIJ, said: "While the Internet provides a vehicle for transmission among and recruitment of terrorists, it also provides an opportunity for properly trained law enforcement to proactively intervene and disrupt these efforts within a rule of law framework.”