Latest study: Courts in the fight against extremism and terror!

Latest study: Courts in the fight against extremism and terror!

On April 17, 2025, a new research project started at the universities of Bielefeld, Cologne and Marburg, which deals with judicial practices in German terrorism trials. Under the title “Negotiating Terror: German Courts as Social Places of Negotiation and Knowledge Production on Extreme Right-Wing and Jihadist Terrorism,” or “Judging Terror” for short, the work aims to focus on the media and social dimensions of such proceedings. The project is supported by the German Research Foundation with 1.2 million euros over three years and aims to expand understanding of the social dynamics in the courtroom by focusing on comparative observations of trials against defendants from extreme right-wing and jihadist backgrounds. The management is the responsibility of Dr. Kerstin Eppert and Viktoria Roth from the Institute for Interdisciplinary Conflict and Violence Research (IKG) at Bielefeld University.

In reporting on terrorist acts that is increasingly influenced by emotions, the connection between ideology, identity and legal knowledge is a central subject of research. Previous work has shown that societal gender perceptions influence defendants' perceptions. These aspects are not only of scientific interest, but also have relevance for public perception in the media and individual perception of terrorism.

Media reporting and its consequences

The media's staging of rampages and terrorist attacks plays a crucial role in how such acts of violence are perceived by society. Often emotional and uncritical reporting can lead to acts of imitation being encouraged. Highly expressive acts of violence are often the result of subjectively difficult grievances that manifest themselves in violent fantasies. News of such acts has high news value based on their deviation from social norms and their impact on the social fabric. The bpb highlights that reporting that shows complex motivations is crucial to understanding such acts. The focus should be on the social consequences rather than the life stories of the perpetrators, and sensitive information should be avoided to prevent copycats.

For many terrorists, social media is an important tool for spreading their ideologies and recruiting new followers. In this context, the role of the mass media is also significant, as they are under strong competitive pressure, which can lead to uncritical reporting. The preparation of information about terrorist attacks influences how they are received in society and thus also the emergence of copycat acts.

Research and social dialogue

The Terrorism Research Network (NTF) offers a platform for exchange between research, media, authorities and politics. The core goals are to address terrorism, extremism and political violence as well as prevention. Workshops that take place biannually are aimed at experts, scientists and students. These events provide an opportunity to present projects and scientific work. The NTF supports science through reports and internship opportunities and thus expands cooperation between research and practice.

In the future, the project team plans to publish the results of the studies in scientific journals and present them at specialist conferences. Through cooperation with the international IN-COURT network, the exchange about legal proceedings and the associated social dynamics is raised to a globally relevant level. The comprehensive analysis of the negotiations and the evaluation of media reporting are intended to provide new insights into media and court interactions in air traffic involving extremism and terrorism.