The British government is to make membership of two right-wing terrorist groups illegal in the U.K.
The orders will proscribe Sonnenkrieg Division (SKD) and will recognize System Resistance Network as an alias of the already proscribed group National Action. Proscription renders membership of a group illegal in the U.K. Anyone found to be a member of or offering support to the groups could now face up to ten years behind bars.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said recent attacks in the U.K. and Germany have highlighted the threat from violent extremism. “We are working to keep the public safe by increasing funding for counter terror police and strengthening the law to keep terrorists locked up for longer. By proscribing these groups we are making it much harder for them to spread their hateful rhetoric.”
This decision follows a meeting of the Proscription Review Group, which brings together representatives from the police and other partners to assess the risk posed by groups who may be considered for proscription.
As part of the order to proscribe SKD, the entry for Partiya Karkeren Kurdistani (the Kurdistan Worker’s Party or PKK) will be amended to include Teyre Azadiye Kurdistan (TAK) and Hêzên Parastina Gel (HPG) as aliases. The PKK has long been considered to be involved in terrorism and these orders will prevent individuals circumventing efforts to counter its activity.
