Report: Number of radicalized people in Norwegian prisons increased last year

PrisonPhoto: Emiliano Bar / Unsplash

A total of 31 prisoners are on the Norwegian authorities’ radar when it comes to radicalization behind the walls of Norwegian prisons.

Eight of them are returning foreign fighters.

The Norwegian Prison and Probation Service has identified 31 imprisoned people as being in danger of radicalization in prison. 

Eight of them are returning foreign fighters, according to the latest annual report from the Norwegian Correctional Service Directorate (KDI).

That is a slight increase from 2018 when a total of 28 people were identified as being in danger of radicalization and violent extremism.

Sandlie: Radicalization is happening

“We know that radicalization is happening in prison, and we are doing what we can to prevent this,” Assistant Director Jan-Erik Sandlie of KDI told ABC News.

In addition to the eight returning foreign fighters, there are also nine others, convicted of terrorist acts or hate crime.

“The remaining fourteen people are vulnerable and at risk,” Sandlie noted.

Right-wing extremism and Islamist terror

The KDI’s annual report also emphasized the importance of information exchange regarding the 31 identified individuals with the police – the Police Security Service (PST) in particular.

In the latest PST threat assessment, it was noted that the threat of right-wing extremism and Islamist terror in Norway was equally high.

While the right-wing extremists are presumed to be radicalized mainly via the Internet, PST believes that Islamist radicalization’s influence “takes place in religious arenas, in prisons, and on the Internet”.

Source: Norway Today

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