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In a significant move against extremist violence, the U.S. Justice Department announced in mid-September the arrest of two alleged leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a neo-fascist terrorist group that operates hundreds of channels on the Telegram messaging platform. If convicted on all 15 counts, which include soliciting hate crimes and murder of federal officials, the two can face up to 220 years in prison.
The Terrorgram Collective has been involved in promoting white supremacist ideology, orchestrating hate crimes, and providing instructions for terrorist attacks and assassinations of public officials. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated that the indictment charges the defendants with leading a transnational terrorist group focused on attacking America’s critical infrastructure and executing deadly hate crimes.
The Justice Department’s investigation revealed that the alleged leaders disseminated videos and publications detailing specific methods for committing acts of violence. These materials celebrated prior white supremacist attacks and maintained a hit list of “high-value targets” including U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders from various private organizations. Victims were often targeted based on their race, religion, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The ideology espoused by the Terrorgram Collective promotes the belief in white supremacy and advocates for violent insurrection as a means to establish a white ethnostate. The group has been linked to several violent incidents, including an attack outside an LGBTQI+ bar in Slovakia that resulted in two deaths, a stabbing of five people near a mosque in Turkey, and plans for attacks on energy facilities in New Jersey.
The indictment serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by extremist networks, particularly on platforms like Telegram, which have become breeding grounds for criminal activity. U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert highlighted the group’s activities, stating they doxxed federal officials, solicited murder, and shared information on explosives intended for violent crimes.
As Telegram continues to grapple with its role in facilitating extremist content, CEO Pavel Durov faces scrutiny over the platform’s moderation practices, particularly as the service grows to 900 million active users. Recently, the platform announced that it would begin implementing tighter terms of service and start relaying information regarding criminal use of the platform to law enforcement agencies. This case underscores the urgent need for action against online platforms harboring hate and violence.
