VSD: Individuals with radical Islamist views have been identified in Lithuania, but the level of the threat of terrorism remains low

At that time, the VSD did not identify persons intending to commit terrorist acts among those who arrived from Central Asian countries. However, it is estimated that their growing diaspora creates conditions for the formation of closed communities in which radicalization processes are possible, VSD points out.

“At the meeting, it was established that there is currently no data on plans to carry out attacks in Lithuania, so the threat level of a terrorist act remains low,” VSD reports.

It is reported that the conclusions and recommendations of the report of the visit of the United Nations Security Council Committee on Combating Terrorism to Lithuania were also discussed at the meeting of the Working Group to resolve the issues of the fight against terrorism. It is also envisaged that the National Crisis Management Center (NKVC) will coordinate inter-institutional efforts to prepare a National Integrated Counter-Terrorism Strategy, as recommended by UN experts.

It is announced that, according to the Migration Department, the diaspora of expatriates from Central Asian countries has increased more than 10 times in the last three years – from 2 thousand to more than 23 thousand. Among them, about 8 thousand. came from Uzbekistan, about 6 thousand – from Kyrgyzstan, about 5.7 thousand. – from Tajikistan. Many come on work permits, less on study permits. For some of them, Lithuania is an intermediate country for further migration to Western Europe.

Representatives of the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Culture, Social Security and Labour, Ministry of Health, Police Department, FNTT, VAT, Army Defense Headquarters, NKVC, SAM Center for Extreme Health Situations participate in the working group to solve issues of the fight against terrorism.

ELTA reminds that the fact that some individuals with radical views are identified among people arriving in Lithuania was announced in the annual assessment of threats to national security prepared by the Ministry of Defense and the Second Department of Operational Services. It is also indicated that the growing manifestations of radicalism are not observed in the Lithuanian Muslim community.

According to intelligence, there is no direct and organized dissemination of Islamist ideology in Lithuania, there are no Muslim organizations and movements operating abroad or their support groups. However, according to the national security threat assessment, the availability of such ideology and propaganda on the Internet poses the risk of independent radicalization of individuals.