Australia bans a neo-Nazi group under newly expanded hate laws
Australia's government has banned a neo-Nazi group under hate-crime laws expanded last year. According to ABC News, the ban criminalises the group's financing, membership and use of its symbols. The decision will be open to judicial review.
According to ABC News, Australia's home affairs ministry has designated a neo-Nazi group as a "terrorist organisation" and banned its activities. Last year's legislative change gave the government this power for the first time. The ban criminalises funding the group, joining it, and displaying its symbols in public.
The home affairs minister said the decision drew on a threat assessment from federal intelligence service ASIO and a rise in attack incidents in recent months. The ministry said reported anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim violence in Australia has increased materially over the past three years.
Human rights organisations welcomed the move, while some legal academics warned that broadening the terrorist-group definition could have a chilling effect on free expression. The opposition in Australia's parliament also asked for clearer oversight of the proscription list. The decision can be appealed in court.
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