The channel was sanctioned on January 13 by the US State Department. Officials froze all of the group’s U.S. assets and blocked access. At least three attacks have been linked to this channel in recent years.
There is a den of white supremacists on Telegram. They profess neo-fascist theories, organize attacks, they glorify terrorists and share in the chat tactics and methods to wage a racial war, topple governments and replace them with a “white ethnostate“. This is Terrorgram (the name is the union of “terrorism” and “Telegram”). The canal has been the epicenter of at least three attacks: a 2022 shooting outside an LGBTQ bar in Slovakia, a planned 2024 attack on energy facilities in New Jersey and an August stabbing at a mosque in Turkey.
They were also shared in the chats lists with addresses of residence of the targets, including federal officials and NGO leaders. On the channel they often discussed techniques for carrying out attacks, from the weapons to be used to the areas to be hit. The channel was sanctioned on January 13 by US Department of State. “The group promotes violent white supremacism, solicits attacks against perceived adversaries, and provides guidance and educational materials on tactics, methods, and targets for attacks, including against critical infrastructure and government officials,” the department said in a statement.
US officials have imposed sanctions on the networks, frozen all assets Americans from the e group access to the channel blocked. “The United States remains deeply concerned about the threat from racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists around the world and is committed to countering transnational components of violent white supremacism,” he added.
What is Terrorgram and how does it work
“Terrorgram is a transnational terrorist group that operates primarily on social media and the platform of Telegram digital messaging and has been linked to terrorist attacks in several countries,” the Department explained in the statement. The group allegedly promoted accelerationist and neo-fascist theories linked to violent white supremacism and attacks against “perceived adversaries.” Among these, blacks, Jews, immigrants, LGBTQ communities. In fact, it professes a “racial war” through violent acts of terrorism against ethical and religious communities. The goal: establish a white ethnostate.
The channel would also provide guidance, tactics, methods and targets for attacks, “including those against critical infrastructure and government officials.” Not only that, as the department explains, “the group glorifies even those who conducted such attacks.” The channel also became a basin for new recruitsespecially very young kids.
Who is part of the supremacist channel on Telegram
The State Department released the names of the channel’s alleged leaders. Among these, Ciro Daniel Amorim Ferreiraadministrator of the Terrorgram channel, Noah Liculsenior member resident in Croatia, e Hendrik-Wahl Mulleralso an administrator operating from South Africa. The Department defined them in a note “global terrorists specially designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224″, a presidential decree aimed at combating the financing of international terrorism.
US prosecutors had already filed criminal charges against two alleged leaders of the group in September, Dallas Humberof Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison of Boise, Idaho. They have to answer to 15 charges, however incitement to hate crimesincitement to murder of federal officials e conspiracy for material support to terrorists.
“We argue that the Terrorgram leaders indicted today are one threat to public safety and the rule of law,” explained Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Using the Telegram platform, they promoted their heinous white supremacist ideology.”
The measures taken against the Telegram channel
The group has been monitored by the authorities for some time. In April, Britain said it would ban the channel. “Terrorgram spreads vile propaganda and aims to radicalize young people to carry out brutal terrorist acts”, explained the Minister of the Interior James Cleverly. “That’s why we are outlawing membership or support of the group: we will not tolerate promotion orencouragement of terrorism in the United Kingdom”.
