Estonian court convicts three right-wing extremists

The Harju County Court on Wednesday found three young men guilty of belonging to a far-right neo-Nazi terrorist organization and recruiting members for it. As part of a plea agreement, the court imposed obligations designed to guide the young men toward lawful behavior in the future.
The young men convicted were members of an organization called Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), whose ideology is rooted in National Socialism, according to a statement from the Prosecutor's Office.
The FKD promotes white supremacy, opposes state authority and calls on individuals to take up arms and plan terrorist attacks. Its adherents propagate and justify racial hatred toward foreigners, Jews, Black people, sexual minorities, journalists and police officers, the statement added.
At the time of the crimes, all three convicted individuals were minors. Consequently, the court opted to impose obligations as part of the plea agreement, aiming to guide the youths toward lawful behavior. The obligations include participation in risk-reduction and rehabilitative activities designed to deradicalize them and decrease high-risk behavior. The Prosecutor's Office emphasized that the purpose of these measures is to foster a healthy worldview, promote positive attitudes and values and support their personal and social rehabilitation.
State Prosecutor Vahur Verte, commenting on the verdict, highlighted the importance of recognizing warning signs of extremism and reporting them to the Internal Security Service (ISS).
"Timely intervention has hopefully prevented potentially very serious consequences in this case. The court imposed behavioral monitoring and directed the young men toward a lawful future through voluntary activities. Despite the serious nature of their actions, the court rightly concluded that supporting and assisting the youths, rather than punishing them, was more appropriate, as they may not have fully understood the consequences of their actions," Verte said in a press release.
The pretrial investigation was conducted by the ISS and the Prosecutor's Office. The court's decision is not yet final.
The ISS has repeatedly highlighted the spread of far-right extremism in Estonia in its annual reports, warning of its potential escalation.
In its 2021 annual report, the ISS noted that the United Kingdom designated the Feuerkrieg Division (FKD) as a terrorist organization in July 2020, pointing out that the group has had members or supporters in Estonia.
The 2022 annual report warned of the risks posed by far-right extremism, stating that far-right terrorism is becoming a new factor threatening Estonia's societal security. "Unfortunately, we need to pay increased attention to far-right extremists, whose activities are largely symbolic and active on social networks, but under adverse circumstances, could lead to attacks against people's lives, health and property — a potential threat of far-right terrorism," wrote ISS Director General Arnold Sinisalu in the report's introduction.
In its most recent annual report, the ISS observed that while far-right activity in Estonia had previously been confined largely to virtual spaces, recent trends show a growing effort by such groups to meet in person.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Marcus Turovski