ASIO calls for more extremists on terror list after Sonnenkrieg Division becomes first on list in Australia
ASIO has revealed it wants more ideologically motivated extremist groups to be designated as terrorist organisations, in addition to the newly listed Sonnenkrieg Division.
ASIO has revealed it wants more ideologically motivated extremist groups to be designated as terrorist organisations, in addition to the newly listed Sonnenkrieg Division (SKD).
The listing of SKD under the Criminal Code, announced by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton on Monday, marks the first designation of a far-right extremist group as a terrorist organisation.
“It is not the only (ideologically motivated) group we have proposed,” ASIO director-general Mike Burgess told Senate estimates.
“Obviously, how that happened, and whether or not they meet the legal threshold, is a matter for others.”
The SKD is a UK-based neo-Nazi group which was last year outlawed in Britain, where its members have been convicted of encouraging terrorism, disseminating terror material, and preparations for a terrorist act.
Mr Burgess told Senate estimates on Monday: “This is a group that actually does have reach here. Some Australians do connect with this group.”
He said other ideologically motivated groups listed as terrorist organisations overseas “also have reach here”.
But said he believed SKD’s US counterpart, the Atomwaffen Division, was “defunct”, along with the far-right UK group National Action.
Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells welcomed Mr Burgess’ decision, announced this week, to refer to “ideologically motivated extremism”, rather than far-right extremism, saying Nazism wasn’t a right-wing ideology.
However, Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi objected to the new naming convention, saying right-wing extremists should be called out as such by the government.
Mr Burgess said some extremist groups and individuals did not fit into the left-right spectrum, such as those describing themselves as the Incels, or Involuntary Celibate; and the “strange” ideology of QAnon conspiracists.
Mr Dutton said the decision to list reflected the government’s commitment to stamping out violence and extremism of all kinds, regardless of ideology or motivation.
“SKD adheres to an abhorrent, violent ideology that encourages lone-wolf terrorist actors who would seek to cause significant harm to our way of life and our country,” he said.
“Members of SKD have already been convicted of terrorist offences in the United Kingdom, including encouraging terrorism, preparing for a terrorist attack and possession and dissemination of terrorist material.”
Offences relating to terrorist organisations attract penalties of up to 25 years’ imprisonment.
A total of 26 terrorist organisations are listed under the Criminal Code.
The move comes as the parliament’s intelligence and security committee conducts an inquiry into violent extremism, including by far-right groups.
In his annual threat assessment last week, Mr Burgess said “so-called right-wing extremism” had grown from about one-third of ASIO’s priority counter-terrorism caseload to about 40 per cent over the past year.
Islamist extremism will now be referred to by ASIO as “religiously motivated violent extremism”.
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