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Recap: Expert Group meeting on Violent Extremism

On 6 March 2024 a face-to-face meeting of the Expert Group on Violent Extremism took place in Prague, The Czech Republic. It is the first meeting of a newly established group which has members from Germany, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, France, Finland, Sweden, Romania, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

One of the crucial task for the expert group was to discuss the work plan for the upcoming two years as the mandate of the group is to be finished in 2026. A strong focus was brought on the topic of violent extremism and mental health. For that an Expert Group on Mental Health was consulted.  Ms. Margarida Maceido from the Portuguese Prison and Probation Service presented the very first case of a juvenile offender under probation supervision for a crime of offences related to terrorist activities.  As the expert meeting was hosted in the premises of the Czech Probation and Mediation Service a short presentation on the aftermath of the December attack at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague, with a focus on the system of psychosocial assistance after the attack was presented.

The expert group will have a follow-up online meeting in May to discuss the first outcomes of the work plan. The next face-to-face meeting is to take place in early 2025.

Presentations:

Psychosocial support after the shooting at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University in Prague

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