The Finnish Supreme Court has upheld on appeal a decision to ban the Nordic Resistance Movement (PVL) in Finland.
The National Police Board had originally asked for the organisation to be banned, and that prohibition has now been upheld by the highest court in the land after several rounds of appeals.
Hate speech against foreigners and Jews, along with use of violence, were key justifications for banning the group, which was found to operate in violation of the law and accepted principles of morality.
The organisation has denied the Police Board’s claims and said it operates within the bounds of freedom of speech.
The Turku Appeals Court had ruled in 2018 that the group should be shut down for the general good of society, because of its violent acts and militia-like structure.
Members of the far-right group have been convicted of numerous acts of violence, including the 2016 death of a man who was assaulted by PVL members outside Helsinki Central station.
