HRS4R Seal
Mentoring for Euriclea research
rose marquez
The Rey Juan Carlos University campus in Aranjuez was filled with people interested in learning about current risks and prevention strategies against jihadist terrorism.
The course brings together security experts, international analysts, and institutional representatives to address the evolving jihadist threat in Europe, with particular attention to its Spanish dimension.
One of the highlights was the speech by Florencio Domínguez, director of the Memorial Center for Victims of Terrorism, who emphasized the key role of Spanish security forces in the fight against this phenomenon:
“Spain is the country with the highest number of jihadist arrests. Last year, it accounted for 27% of all arrests in the European Union; France is the second country. This demonstrates the quality of the work being done by state security forces to address this threat, but it's also an indicator of the potential risk we face as a society.”
Over the course of the two-day seminar, the changes in forms of radicalization—increasingly digitalized and decentralized thanks to the internet—and the challenges facing intelligence services in the current unstable global context will be analyzed. The topic of prevention in the educational and community spheres will also be addressed, as well as the role of memory in reparation for victims. The latter will be featured in one of the panels. Their first-person accounts are key to delegitimizing the jihadist message, especially among young people who, due to their age, may not be as aware of the problem.
The course is coordinated by URJC professor Fernando Reinares and includes participation from the Ministry of the Interior, the Civil Guard, and analysts from the academic and judicial fields.
The large turnout of students reflects the growing concern about a phenomenon that, although it has evolved since the major attacks of the early 20th century, continues to pose a persistent threat on the European and Spanish scene.