Europe and the growing jihadi threat.

Investigations into jihadi returners pushing German courts to their limits

The German justice system is struggling to deal with the number of suspected jihadis returning from fighting in the Middle East. The speed with which the problem is developing is particularly concerning, say lawyers.

Germany's courts are snowed under with an unprecedented number of proceedings against suspected jihadis, the country's chief prosecutor, Harald Range, said on Thursday.

Lawyers at the Federal Prosecutor's Office are currently dealing with 46 cases which include a total of 83 suspected Islamists or supporters.The numbers returning have increased tenfold since last year – in 2013 the Federal Court dealt with five cases of eight jihadi returners.

According to Range, many other cases of jihadi fighters returning to Germany are being handled by regional courts, which are currently investigating with more than 100 cases of suspected returning fighters or supporters.

"For months we have been working at the limits of our capacities," said Range. "What worries me the most is the alarming speed at which ordinary young people are radicalizing or being radicalized and becoming violent jihadis," he added.

The rise of the "Islamic State" (IS) in Iraq and Syria has had a huge impact on Germany, Range said. German security agencies estimate that more than 550 Islamists have now travelled from Germany to the Middle East. Networks providing financial and logistical support are also thought to be in operation in Germany. 

Chief prosecutor Harald Range 

Germany "in the firing line" 

There is no clear evidence of plans by returners for attacks in Germany, but prosecutor Range said that he was still concerned. "Germany is in the firing line of jihadi terrorism," he said, adding that he believed the number of would continue to grow.

Chief prosecutor Range said that a "preventative approach" to the issue was needed, calling for better education programs in schools and cooperation with Muslim associations. 

A study carried out by the BBC World Service and King's College London found that 5042 people were killed in reported jihadist incidents worldwide during November 2014, with the "Islamic State" (IS) carrying out the majority of the attacks. 

lvw/mg (Reuters, AFP) 

British mother of six jailed for inciting terrorism on social media

A mother of six from southeast England has been jailed for more than five years for promoting terrorism on social media. 35-year-old Runa Khan pleaded guilty to related charges at a London court.

A British mother of six was handed a prison sentence of five years and three months on Thursday after she admitted to several counts of distributing terrorist publications via Facebook.

Runa Khan, from Luton in southeast England, pleaded guilty to four charges of disseminating terrorist publications between July and September 2013, including sending Facebook posts containing a picture of a suicide vest with the words "sacrifice your life to be in Islam."

One count related to the 35-year-old passing on details to another online user on how to travel from Turkey to Syria for the purpose of joining the conflict there.

A court also heard how she had described on the social media website how fighters could gain entry into Syria, adding: "Sisters, if you love your sons, husbands and brothers, prove it by sending them to fight for Allah."

Court hearing

Kingston Crown Court, in the southeastern county of Surrey, heard that Khan had a photograph on her mobile phone of her two-year-old son with a toy rifle and a jihadist book.

The hearing was also told that she had praised an article on how to prepare young children for jihad.

The AFP news agency quoted part of the article which read: "Don't underestimate the lasting effects of what those little ears take in during the first few years of life!" and also, "No child is ever too young to be started off on jihad training in one form or another."

Khan also posted a message on the social media wesbite which read: "Zipping up my 8 year old boys jacket as he wants to play outside for a bit. I pictured the future while I was zipping up his jacket, in sha Allah ill be tying the shahada bandana round his forehead and hand him his rifle and send him out to play the big boys game. Allahu Akbar."

Judge Peter Birts told the hearing that a custodial sentence was inevitable given the "utmost gravitas" of the charges.

After sentencing, Commander Richard Walton, Head of the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command said, "This is a case of social media being used as a tool for terrorism. Khan used it to spread extremism, radicalise others and justify children being used for terrorism.

"We aim to make the Internet a more hostile environment for terrorists; today's sentence supports that aim," he added.

lw/mg (AFP, dpa, Reuters)