Council of Ministers agrees to a higher maximum penalty for participation in a terrorist organization | News item

News item | 27-10-2023 | 3:00 PM

Now that the Council of State has considered the bill, the next step is the House of Representatives. The bill focuses on participants of terrorist organizations who commit terrorist crimes punishable by life imprisonment. This concerns, for example, the commission of attacks and other serious terrorist violence.

Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius: “Increasing the maximum sentence from 15 to 20 years sends an important signal to people who want to join terrorist organizations that want to impose their ideology on others through the most brutal and destructive violence. The participants are partly responsible. As far as I’m concerned, there should be a punishment that makes that even clearer.”

The role of participants

Participants are of great importance to terrorist organizations. To achieve their goals, terrorist organizations depend on participants. Participants in terrorist organizations make an indispensable – and undeniable – contribution to the criminal goals of that organization. They do this, among other things, by preparing, supporting or committing attacks, for example.

Maximum penalty

Currently, a maximum sentence of 15 years applies for participation in a terrorist organization. That maximum sentence has not been changed since 2004, despite the developments that have occurred over the past twenty years. That is why the Minister of Justice and Security now wants to adjust the maximum sentence.

The maximum penalty for leading a terrorist organization will not be increased. After all, the highest maximum penalty already applies for this (life imprisonment or a temporary prison sentence of up to 30 years).

House of Representatives

After the House of Representatives has dealt with the bill, the bill will go before the Senate.