This would include acquiring such material for non-educational purposes, or constantly monitoring sources of such material. Doing so would classify as a misdemeanor crime, under the proposal.

The ministry defines terrorist propaganda as any kind of propaganda from outside Estonia and which is not disseminated by sovereign states, such as Russia.

While at present, the terror threat in Estonia is low, according to the ministry and to the Internal Security Service (ISS) most recent yearbook, this needs to be set aside Estonia's small size.

"In a small society, even one terror attack can have very large and painful consequences, something we do not want," Ministry of the Interior adviser Jüri Vlassov told ERR.

The ministry sees Islamic extremism as the biggest threat, though also considers far-right radicalization in Estonia to be an issue.

The Penal Code currently punishes terrorist crimes, their preparation and financing, and inciting terrorist acts.

This is insufficient, Vlassov went on. "Within the current legal framework there are not enough tools to prevent and stop radicalization, to stop terrorism before it reaches victims and [to stop] terrorist crimes," he said.

In its draft plan to amend the Penal Code, the Ministry of the Interior notes that the state currently must wait until a person has committed or attempted a terrorist crime before taking action.

Terrorist acts have become simpler, with attacks requiring less time and fewer resources to plan.

The ministry's plan proposes making it punishable to knowingly and repeatedly monitor, distribute, or acquire terrorist material, unless done for educational, artistic, or scientific purposes. Similarly, persistent monitoring or acquiring of child pornography would also be prohibited in Estonia.

Vlassov said that although far-right radicalization is indeed a problem in Estonia, jihadist propaganda is still more victim-prone.

He noted the case of the Estonian-born Abdulrahman Sazanakov, who went to fight for terrorist Islamists in Syria and is thought to have been killed there. "Far-right radicalization in Estonia, however, has not reached human victims," he added.

The draft highlights the Feuerkrieg Division, a far-right group convicted in Estonia for using propaganda to recruit members, and notes that the ISS yearbook found such groups aim to bring down capitalism and create a white supremacist state, as evidenced by three underage members convicted by the Harju County Court in that case.

The Ministry of the Interior notes that minors and young people are most vulnerable to terrorist propaganda, citing the example of France, where 70 percent of terror suspects were aged under 21.

According to the statistics, jihadist attacks remain the deadliest in the EU, with Europol reporting 120 terrorist attacks in 2023.

As to whether the planned legal amendment would increase bureaucracy and the ISS's workload, the ministry put the number of additional proceedings reaching it or the Police and Border Guard Board at around five per year.

The Ministry of the Interior is now gathering feedback from stakeholders. The amendments are subject to a Riigikogu vote and, if they pass this, could enter into force in the second half of 2026.

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