INFO EUROPE 1 – Terrorism: the sketch of the Islamist registered in the radicalized file

William Molinié, edited by Gauthier Delomez / Photo credits: GERARD JULIEN / AFP 5:53 a.m., March 27, 2024

Since the attack in Moscow, French intelligence services have feared the activation of sleeper cells of fighters, already present on the territory, from the Afghan branch of the Islamic State. Profile, age, location... Europe 1 draws up a sketch of the radicalized person on file, although there are just over 20,000 of them in France.

The terrorist threat in France has been raised to the “emergency attack” level since the Islamist attack in Moscow last Friday. The main risk, according to intelligence services, is that fighters from the Afghan branch of the Islamic State activate sleeper cells or individuals already present on French territory. In total, there are a little more than 20,000 of these Islamists in France, registered with the FSPRT, the radicalized file.

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Mostly men aged around 30

In France, it is the DGSI, leader of counter-terrorism, which keeps the accounts. With the figures that Europe 1 was able to consult, it is possible to draw up a composite portrait of the radicalized person on file. Thus, the Islamists identified in France are mainly men, at 82%. Their average age is 34 and a half years, compared to 33 years for women. Minors, mainly boys, represent less than 4% of the file. Also, 20% are foreigners, 10% are dual nationals.

According to a confidential map, consulted by Europe 1, the most dangerous radicalized people, that is to say those who are actively monitored by the anti-terrorist services, are found in the areas of large metropolises: Lille, Paris, Strasbourg, Lyon, Marseille and Toulouse. A distribution that matches almost perfectly with that of the attacks committed since 2017. In other words, the more a city is home to a radicalized population, the more likely it is to be affected by terrorism.

Few suffer from mental disorders

Another lesson: few, if not very few, Islamists actively monitored by the DGSI suffer from mental disorders. These radicalized people are not crazy, they are rather dangerous, what we call “criminological”, linked to their environment and their education.

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On the latter, medications are ineffective, unlike “psychiatric radicalized”. They are monitored less because the intelligence services consider that the risk of committing a violent act is minimized thanks to the medical treatment imposed on them.