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Portugal – Proposals to combat terrorism, involve loss of nationality to those convicted

As reported in the Diario de Noticias, the CDS party will move forward with a “package” of measures against terrorism.

The CDS will present a bill that allows the withdrawal of Portuguese nationality to citizens condemned by terrorism, but only for those who have dual nationality. This decision could reach some of the Portuguese jihadists, should they ever be tried in Portugal. This is one of six measures of the “package” to combat terrorism, which will be announced today (29th) in parliament, with which centrists intend to counter what they consider “government inaction in the area of ​​security.”

In anticipation of the executive, the centrists are also moving forward with a bill to allow the security forces access to the traffic data of the communications (metadata) of suspected terrorist crimes, espionage, sabotage and transnational organized crime. As the DN has already reported, the government is preparing to approve a proposed law “soon” in Council of Ministers, although the specific date has not been indicated.

This reinforcement of powers of information services, was approved by a two-thirds majority (PSD, PS and CDS) in the previous legislature, but defeated by the Constitutional Court. The  judges considered that metadata amounted to wiretaps and could only be allowed in a criminal (closed to secret) investigation and with the same judicial control.

In order to avoid further unconstitutionality and to subject spies to judicial control such as that of police, the CDS proposes that this access to the metadata should be authorized by a special criminal section, composed of a panel of judges, which would be set up in the Supreme Court of Justice. This will also be the model that the government will suggest.

The Diario de Noticais continues that in all, the “package” against terrorism integrates these two bills (nationality and metadata), two requests / questions to the government and two draft resolutions with recommendations. The questions before the Minister of Internal Affairs: are one on the situation of national critical infrastructure security plans, and another on the relationship between the Navy and the GNR in their maritime external border security systems (Costa Segura and the Integrated Surveillance System, Command and Control – SIVICC).

The recommendations include airport security and police training in the prevention of terrorism. Regarding the first, the CDS gives the government 90 days to say what is done, taking into account, justifies Telmo Correia, “the times the Minister has already said that the respective security plans were being changed, without Know any conclusion “. The second is intended to be extended to “all elements of security forces assigned to policing in the vicinity” who are trained in the area of ​​prevention, detection and combating terrorism. “The police on the ground have to be prepared for this reality. The attacks are avoided by anticipation and this can only be achieved by proximity,” says Telmo Correia.

The deputy recognizes that the loss of nationality “will be the most complicated” to approve with the current left majority, but recalls that “some European countries have already adopted it.

 


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