Author

Merkuryev V.V., Agapov P.V., Ivanov R.S.

Title of article

Determinants and characteristics of terrorist crime in the border regions of the Russian Federation

Section

Criminology

Issue, year

4 (34) 2015

Abstract

Modern criminal policy for countering terrorist crime in the border regions of the Russian Federation is analyzed. Despite the unified social and economic nature of international terrorism, terrorist activity in border regions has its own peculiarities, due to its cross-border nature. The specificity of terrorist threats in the border areas is substantiated: cross-border nature; the concentration of organized crime groups; using religious slogans in violence against representatives of other religious confessions; terrorist organizations having links with international terrorist groups; the influence of customary and traditional law on terrorist activities; the influence of foreign special services on terrorist activities; etc. The determinants of terrorism in the border regions of the Russian Federation are: the activities of foreign special services concerning the organization of training centers for members of illegal armed groups, financing and providing such groups’ activities; a high level of Islamization of the population; difficult social and economic situation in the border region, high level of unemployment; dissatisfaction of the local population with the regional and municipal authorities, their corruption and clan system. The following corruption factors of terrorism are characterized: the transfer of information on planned or implemented counter-terrorism activities to terrorists by officials; withholding information on the results of the control activities (border, customs, registration, etc.) containing information about preparing a terrorist act, committed terrorist act or other terrorist crime, as well as illegal armed group; exemption from liability or its mitigation in respect of persons participating in illegal armed groups and other terrorist activities.

Keywords

terrorist crime, border areas, international terrorism, international terrorist organizations, state border.

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