Egypt, Iraq and Jordan coordinate in the fight against terrorism

How can intelligence information be incorporated into a judicial process in a state governed by the rule of law? This question was raised during the first meeting of the Sphinx Working Group dedicated to the judicialisation of intelligence in the fight against terrorism. This high-level working group brought together senior representatives from the justice, intelligence and security sectors of Egypt, Iraq and Jordan in Syracuse, Italy.  

This activity, organised by the European CT JUST project team in collaboration with the International Institute of Criminal Justice and Human Rights in Syracuse, helped forge relationships of trust between different actors with cross-cutting roles in the fight against terrorism. 

During this first seminar, discussions focused on the relationship between law and intelligence in terrorism cases, and on the constraints on information exchange in the light of the different laws in force in each country. The delegations present were able to share their knowledge and experience, which was very instructive for all participants.  

Key aspects for successful judicialisation include mutual knowledge of the specific working rules between intelligence services and the judiciary within each country, building trust between institutions at national and regional level, identifying problems in information sharing, or helping to establish working arrangements and/or rules on how to share information within and between countries.  

The CT JUST team has identified the judicialisation of intelligence as a crucial factor in improving the effectiveness of the criminal justice chain in counterterrorism in the Middle East and Sahel countries. Further sessions of the Sphinx Working Group will be organised in the near future on issues related to strengthening collaboration in the fight against terrorism.