Comoros
Comoros has dedicated provisions on terrorism in its criminal code, most recently revised in 2020. The mandatory death penalty is imposed for terrorist offences, which violates international human rights law.
The Definition of Terrorism in Domestic Law
Comoros defines and criminalize terrorism in its penal code, most recently revised in 2020. Thus, Article 255 of the Code stipulates as follows:
The term "terrorism" refers to all acts of violence (attacks, hostage-taking, etc.) committed to create a climate of insecurity, to blackmail a government, to satisfy hatred towards a community, a country or a system.
The term "terrorist" means any natural person who commits or attempts to commit terrorist acts by any means, directly or indirectly, illegally and deliberately, who participates as an accomplice in terrorist acts, who organizes terrorist acts or instructs others to commit such acts, which contribute to the commission of terrorist acts by a group of persons acting for a common purpose, when this contribution is intentional and aims to carry out the terrorist act or it has made having knowledge of the group's intention to commit a terrorist act.
Also an act of terrorism is one that is related to an individual or collective undertaking aimed at seriously disturbing public order by intimidation or terror, the fact of introducing into the atmosphere on the ground, in subsoil or in waters, including those of the territorial sea, a substance likely to endanger human or animal health or the natural environment.
Adherence to Global and Regional Terrorism Treaties
Comoros has adhered to all of the main United Nations treaties on terrorism.
| Treaty | Adherence |
|---|---|
| 1973 Convention on Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons | State Party |
| 1979 Hostage-Taking Convention | State Party |
| 1997 Terrorist Bombings Convention | State Party |
| 1999 Terrorist Financing Convention | State Party |
| 2005 Nuclear Terrorism Convention | State Party |
Comoros has also adhered to one of the two African Union treaties on terrorism.
| Treaty | Adherence |
|---|---|
| 1999 Algiers Convention | State Party |
| 2004 Protocol to the Algiers Convention | Signatory |
Laws and Penalties for Terrorist Offences
Predicate crimes for terrorist offences are criminalized in the Criminal Code, and the Code stipulates that terrorism is punishable by the mandatory death penalty.Art. 255, Criminal Code of Comoros.The mandatory death penalty is a violation of international human rights law as it does not permit appeal against the severity of the sentence on the basis of the specific circumstances of the offence or the offender.
In February 2021, the Comoros government declared 69 entities as "terrorist groups et organisations" whose presence is prohibited on the territory of the Comoros.
Counterterrorism Capacities and Policies at Domestic Level
The Comoros are a potential transit point for international terrorism, particularly due to limited resources and training in counterterrorism and maritime security. This is despite the creation of a coordination mechanism for counterterrorism operations in 2014 (CLAT: coordination de la lutte anti-terroriste).
In 2017, 50 Comoros police officers were provided with a specialist counterterrorism training.
Glossary
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