Five teenagers were apprehended in Czechia on suspicion of supporting ISIS, disseminating hate speech, and plotting terrorist attacks following a multinational investigation spanning Slovakia, Austria, and the UK, according to Euractiv.
The suspects, most under 18, allegedly shared Islamic State propaganda on social media, inciting hatred against LGBT+ individuals, Jews, and minority groups. Two face charges over an attempted January 2024 arson attack on a synagogue in Brno.
Michal Koudelka, director of the Czech Security Information Service (BIS), revealed the suspects “had no connection to the Muslim community in the Czech Republic” and radicalised exclusively through online platforms.
[They] succumbed to the ideology of the Islamic State on the internet.
Koudelka warned of escalating youth radicalisation risks across Europe and urged early reporting of extremist tendencies.
The group operated across Czechia, Slovakia, Austria, and the UK, according to Břetislav Brejcha, head of the National Centre for Counter-Terrorism, Extremism, and Cybercrime. Police confiscated knives, gas pistols, and military equipment during raids. One suspect is additionally accused of attempting to recruit fighters for Syria.
The investigation remains active, with authorities not ruling out further charges. The case underscores heightened concerns about digitally native extremism exploiting unregulated online spaces to target disaffected youth.
