WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States imposed sanctions on Monday against an extreme right-wing online network, designating the “Terrorgram” collective as a terrorist group and accusing it of promoting violent white supremacy.
The U.S. State Department stated that it had labeled the group, which mainly operates on the Telegram social media platform, and three of its leaders as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. According to the State Department, the group has incited and enabled attacks and attempted attacks by its users, including a shooting outside an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia in 2022, a planned attack on energy facilities in New Jersey in 2024, and a knife attack at a mosque in Turkey in August.
“The group promotes violent white supremacism, encourages attacks on perceived enemies, and offers guidance and instructional materials on tactics, methods, and targets for attacks, including critical infrastructure and government officials,” the State Department said. The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets linked to the group and prohibit Americans from engaging with it.
The leaders hit with sanctions on Monday were based in Brazil, Croatia, and South Africa, as per the official statement. In September, U.S. prosecutors revealed criminal charges against two purported leaders of the group, alleging that they utilized Telegram to solicit attacks on Black, Jewish, LGBTQ individuals, and immigrants with the intent of provoking a racial conflict.
In April, Britain announced its plans to proscribe the Terrorgram collective as a terrorist organization, making it a criminal offense in the country to associate with or promote the group. President Joe Biden has been vocal in his opposition to white supremacy during his time in office. In 2021, Biden launched the inaugural U.S. National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism, which included measures to identify and prosecute threats and introduce new deterrents to discourage Americans from affiliating with dangerous groups.
(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Katharine Jackson; writing by Susan Heavey; editing by Paul Simao)
