The United States remains deeply concerned about the racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist (REMVE) threat worldwide and is committed to countering the transnational components of violent white supremacy.
Today, the Department of State designated the Nordic Resistance Movement (NRM) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, as amended. NRM is the largest neo-Nazi group in Sweden, with branches in Norway, Denmark, Iceland, and Finland, where it has been banned since 2020. The group's activities are based on its openly racist, anti-immigrant, antisemitic, and anti-LGBTQI+ platform. Members and leaders have carried out violent attacks against political opponents, protestors, journalists, and other perceived adversaries. They have also taken steps to collect and prepare weapons and explosive materials for the group’s goals. Additionally, NRM has organized training in violent tactics such as hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting.
Formed in 1997 under its former name Swedish Resistance Movement before rebranding to NRM in 2016 under leader Simon Lindberg, the group's stated goal is to replace Nordic democracies with a "united ethnic Nordic nation."
The Department of State also designated three NRM leaders as SDGTs pursuant to E.O. 13224:
- Tor Fredrik Vejdeland (also known as Fredrik Vejdeland), who leads NRM's national council.
- Pär Öberg serves on NRM's national council and heads its parliamentary branch.
- Leif Robert Eklund (also known as Robert Eklund), who is a member of NRM's national council and coordinates various divisions within Sweden.
As a result of these actions, all property and interests in property of those designated today that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked. U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Terrorist designations expose entities and individuals while preventing them from exploiting the U.S. financial system; they can also assist law enforcement activities by U.S agencies and other relevant entities.
These actions are part of a broader effort by the Biden-Harris Administration to address transnational REMVE threats. In June 2021, the Administration released the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism which included efforts to assess whether additional foreign entities linked to domestic terrorism could be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations or SDGTs.
NRM is being designated for having committed or attempted acts of terrorism that threaten U.S nationals' security or impact national security policy or economy adversely. Tor Fredrik Vejdeland, Pär Öberg, and Leif Robert Eklund are being designated for their leadership roles within NRM.
Petitioners requesting removal from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List should refer to the Department of State’s Delisting Guidance page.
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