Authorities in five countries implemented actions against 209 individuals for their alleged involvement in violent hate crimes.
On 14 December 2023, Europol supported a third joint action day targeting violent hate crimes, both online and offline. The operational activities coordinated by the Spanish ONDOD (National Office Against Hatred Crimes), involved law enforcement authorities from Austria, France, Germany and Italy. The actions targeted the online and offline proliferation of racist and xenophobic hate speech, calls to violence, and incitement to commit different crimes.
Law enforcement authorities targeted 209 individuals, mainly right and left wing extremists, for their alleged involvement in serious offences related to the spread of violent hate speech, incitement to commit violent hate crimes, and death threats. Some of the individuals are linked to religiously motivated extremism, while others are believed to have incited violence against politicians, violent acts towards the political system and specific communities. Officers from participating countries implemented different actions, which included multiple location raids and seizures of electronic devices, mobile phones, weapons and propaganda material.
German authorities carried out 65 houses searches and interrogated 54 individuals. During the coordinated action day, French authorities targeted 72 individuals for various online and offline offences. Among these offences were the use of forbidden weapons and symbols of terrorist organisations, the dissemination of propaganda, public incitement to commit offences, and the defamation of politicians.
Italian authorities investigated, under the order of the Judicial Authority of Monza, an individual who incited others to commit crimes while disseminating racist, xenophobic and supremacist propaganda. Spanish authorities arrested two individuals for criminal acts against vulnerable communities, and two other individuals are under investigation for hate motivated violence allegedly resulting in bodily injuries.
The operational actions focused on combating and preventing the proliferation of hate crime, racism and xenophobia via social media, online fora and other online platforms. Law enforcement actions also targeted the dissemination of hate speech, which goes beyond the online world. As an example, French authorities took action against an individual who was targeting and dating gay men to scam them out of money.
Europol provided operational coordination and facilitated the exchange of information between the participating authorities. Experts from Europol’s Counter Terrorism Centre monitored all contributions, provided analytical support, and gave a continuous overview on the operational activities through direct contact with the involved law enforcement authorities.
Law enforcement authorities involved:
- Austria: Directorate State Protection and Intelligence Service (Direktion Staatsschutz und Nachrichtendienst)
- France: National Gendarmerie (Gendarmerie Nationale/OCLCH), National Police (Police Nationale), local police authorities
- Germany: Federal Criminal Police (Bundeskriminalamt), local police authorities
- Italy: National Police (Polizia di Stato / DCPP-DIGOS of Monza-Brianza)
- Spain: National Office for Combating Hate Crimes (Oficina Nacional de Lucha Contra los Delitos de Odio / ONDOD), Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) and Regional Navarre Police (Policía Foral).
Source – Europol