Violence and Security

Nigeria Pitches Proposal to Negotiate Boko Haram Amnesty

March 28, 2018

The proposal by Nigeria's president for negotiating an amnesty with the Islamist group Boko Haram, which has been waging a long war to impose sharia in West Africa, has provoked controversy in Nigerian politics centered around the ideological intentions of the jihadist group's competing factions and the integration of former jihadists into their home communities.
NGO Opposes Malaysian "Fake News" Legislation

March 28, 2018

Amnesty International has called on the Malaysian government to withdraw proposed legislation, introduced in the run-up to the country's elections later this year, providing for prison terms for people who disseminate "fake news."
Global Jihadist Ecosystem Marked by Adaptability, Resiliency

March 28, 2018

Security experts from the US National Intelligence Council characterize the global jihadist ecosystem as a a complex amalgam of Islamist extremist groups with competitive leaderships and membership recruitment strategies, adaptability to geopolitical terrains, multi-faceted use of technologies for ideological transmission and violence, and a demonstrated resilience.
UN Agency: IS Collapse Will Lead to New Migration Crisis

March 27, 2018

The Executive Director of the UN's World Food Program David Beasley has warned that the military defeat of the Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq has led to a recruitment drive by Islamist extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa that will produce a new migration crisis in Europe.
WEF Examines Threat of "Fake News" in Latin America

March 27, 2018

At the recent World Economic Forum (WEF) on Latin America, panelists examined the threats posed to democracy by "fake news" spread in online fora throughout the region and called for societies to focus on education to help citizens distinguish between the truth and disinformation.
Boko Haram Releases Kidnapped Girls with Warnings

March 26, 2018

The Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is a sin," released 100 schoolgirls kidnapped as part of the jihadist operation dedicated to imposing sharia law throughout the West African country, withholding release of the Christian girl who refused to convert to Islam and warning those released not to go back to school.
UN Agency Creates Toolkit to Improve PVE Programs

March 23, 2018

The UN Development Programme has launched a toolkit containing "comprehensive" guidance for policymakers and officials seeking to design and monitor programs for the prevention of violent extremism (PVE).
CoE Official Opposes French Legislation on Asylum

March 23, 2018

The Council of Europe's (CoE) Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks has written to the French National Assembly calling on its members to reject a proposal reforming the country's asylum system by streamlining the process of asylum applications and appeals, warning that the legislation does not take into account the vulnerability of asylum applicants.
NGO Criticizes Spanish Ban on Terror-related Speech

March 22, 2018

Amnesty International warns that the Spanish government has recently used a law banning content "glorifying terrorism" or "humiliating victims of terrorism" to prosecute artists such as musicians and puppeteers as well as those posting controversial messages on social-media platforms.
EU Group Proposes Principles to Prevent "Fake News"

March 22, 2018

The EU High-Level Expert Group on Fake News and Disinformation has issued a report calling for social-media networks to commit to a Code of Principles including transparency regarding the process through which news is prioritized and improving the visibility of trustworthy news to prevent the spread of "disinformation" in Europe.