USA
Nazi NMR is classified as a terrorist by the USA
Give Zangana,
Nellie Håkansson
Updated 22.23 | Published 20.50
The United States designates the Nazi organization Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) as a terrorist organization.
This is what US authorities write in a statement.
"We and the US share the view that these are serious threats," says Foreign Minister Tobias Billström in a comment to Aftonbladet.
Quick version
The Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement is classified as a terrorist by the United States, the US State Department states in a statement.
The organization is now on the list of terrorist organizations. In addition, three of the organization's leading figures have been classified as "global terrorists". It is about Fredrik Vejdeland, Pär Öberg and Robert Eklund.
The Pentagon writes in a statement that NMR has carried out or has attempted to carry out terrorist acts that threaten the security of both the United States and American citizens.
Billström: Serious threats
Foreign Minister Tobias Billström writes in a comment to Aftonbladet that the government received the information about the terrorist listing from the US in advance.
"We and the United States share the view that these are serious threats. But unlike the United States, Sweden does not have its own system of "terrorist lists". However, the EU has a terrorist list that also applies in Sweden. There, for example, the PKK and other groups can be found."
The decision from the US will be carefully analyzed according to Billström.
"We must also have a close dialogue about this with our own authorities. The government also intends to inform about these issues at the EU level, where there is already a discussion on how European countries should better protect themselves against various extremists."
Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (M) writes in a comment to Aftonbladet that the government takes violent extremism very seriously.
"In addition, last summer the government appointed an investigation that looks into the possibility of restricting freedom of association for criminal organizations as well. Such an opportunity could hit, for example, Nazi, or other extreme, associations that commit crimes," says Strömmer in a statement.
Researcher: Came as a surprise
According to terror researcher Hans Brun, the announcement comes as a bit of a surprise.
- Those of us who follow the far-right environment carefully tend to highlight that it has almost weakened in recent years, and that is correct. But what is important here is to highlight that it is the US State Department and US authorities who look at this from a different point of view.
Hans Brun says that in the research he was able to see how the ties between American right-wing extremists and European right-wing extremists have strengthened in recent years.
- We know that there are quite a lot of contacts between Europeans and Americans in the far-right environment. Among the European right-wing extremists, many Swedes play a leading role, which means that American authorities look extra closely at the various Swedish and Scandinavian networks.
The fact that NMR is now classified as a terrorist by the United States may concretely mean that American authorities are given certain opportunities to search for information, according to Hans Brun.
- You can confiscate money and property, it is a way of giving the authorities there greater powers to intervene against this organization and people associated with it, he says.
But the message that has now come from the United States, Hans Brun believes, is not remarkable.
- I probably don't think so, given how many far-right activists still appear in the US in various contexts, both as inspirers but also to get education, I don't think this is strange at all. It also shows how seriously American authorities take this problem.
Säpo: No ongoing preliminary investigations
Säpo believes that the USA's terrorist classification does not affect their work against terrorism in Sweden.
- We have noted it, and it is a question for the American authorities to answer what this means for the organization. As for the security police, I can say that it doesn't change much. Our operations are governed by laws and regulations in Sweden, says Gabriel Wernstedt who is press secretary at Säpo.
Whether NMR will be added to the EU's terror list is a question for the government and not Säpo, says Gabriel Wernstedt. Säpo also focuses on individuals rather than organizations, he points out.
- This is how we have been working for a few years now. Ultimately, it is about individuals who carry out acts of violence.
According to Säpo, there are no preliminary investigations into the people listed as "global terrorists" by the United States.
- When it's operational, it's something covered by confidentiality. The only time we talk about individuals is when we conduct preliminary investigations. We have no ongoing preliminary investigations into terrorist crimes concerning these individuals, says Gabriel Wernstedt.
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