For the first time in history, the US government has labeled a white supremacist group as a terrorist organization. On April 6, 2020, The US State Department listed the Russian-based ultranationalist group Russian Imperial Movement (RIM) as a terrorist organization, along with three of its leaders; Stanislav Vorobyev, Denis Gariev, and Nikolay Trushchalov. Following the designating, RIM and the three aforementioned leaders are now blocked from the US financial system along with any of their assets that are subject to US jurisdiction.
The designation follows a surge in terrorist attacks from white supremacist groups in 2019, including attacks in El Paso, Texas, and Christchurch, New Zealand. The growing concern around white supremacist groups in not unwarranted as the line between domestic white supremacist groups and foreign groups is blurring. This is exemplified by the fact that the man who carried out the mass shooting in El Paso later told investigators he was inspired by the Christchurch attacks. The Russian-based RIM is known to have connections with white supremacist groups within the United States, however, the full extent of the connection is unknown.
Click here to read our Insight on the global risk of terrorism.
