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 is designating 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 also Finland, where it has been banned since 2020. NRM's violent activity is based on its openly racist, anti-immigrant, antisemitic, anti-LGBTQI+ platform. The group's members and leaders have carried out violent attacks against political opponents, protestors, journalists, and other perceived adversaries. NRM members have also taken steps to collect and prepare weapons and explosive materials, including on behalf of the group and in furtherance of its goals. In addition, NRM has organized training in violent tactics, including hand-to-hand combat and knife fighting.
Formed in 1997, the group was originally known as the Swedish Resistance movement but rebranded itself as NRM in 2016 under its former leader, Simon Lindberg. According to NRM, the group's goal is to replace the Nordic democracies with a "united ethnic Nordic nation."
Additionally, the Department of State is designating three of NRM's leaders as SDGTs pursuant to E.O. 13224, as amended.
· Tor Fredrik Vejdeland, also known as Fredrik Vejdeland, is the leader of NRM. Vejdeland is one of the longest-serving members of NRM and has been part of the group's national leadership for 20 years. Vejdeland is the leader of NRM's national council, the group's governing body.
- Pär Öberg is a member of NRM's national council and serves as head of the group's parliamentary branch.
- Leif Robert Eklund, also known as Robert Eklund, is a member of NRM's national council and the coordinator of the various NRM divisions within Sweden.
As a result of our actions, all property and interests in property of those designated today that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction are blocked, and U.S. persons (entities and individuals) are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with them. Terrorist designations expose and isolate entities and individuals and prevent them from exploiting the U.S. financial system. Moreover, designations can assist the law enforcement activities of U.S. agencies and other relevant enforcement entities and governments.
Today's actions are being taken pursuant to Executive Order 13224, as amended, which targets terrorists, terrorist organizations, leaders and officials of terrorist groups, and those providing support to terrorists or acts of terrorism. These designations are part of a broader U.S. government effort to address the transnational dimensions of the threat posed by REMVE actors and reflect the Biden-Harris Administration's continued commitment to countering domestic terrorism (DT), which includes REMVE. In June 2021, the Administration released the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism. That Strategy highlighted U.S. Government efforts to assess whether additional foreign entities linked to domestic terrorism could, under the relevant criteria, be designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations or SDGTs; such designations bars U.S. persons from supporting those entities or receiving training from them.
NRM is being designated for having committed or attempted to commit, posing a significant risk of committing, or having participated in training to commit acts of terrorism that threaten the security of United States nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States. Tor Fredrik Vejdeland, Pär Öberg, and Leif Robert Eklund are being designated for being leaders of NRM.
Petitioners requesting removal of those designated from the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List should refer to the Department of State's Delisting Guidance page.
