Spanish court halts far-right group’s activities amid hate crime investigation
A judge in Gijon has ordered Nucleo Nacional’s office closed and its bank accounts and social media content blocked following the arrest of 14 members.
By Alessia Romano ·
A Spanish judge has ordered the suspension of activities by the ultra-right organisation Nucleo Nacional while authorities investigate alleged hate crimes and illegal association. The ruling, announced on Thursday by a court in the northern city of Gijon, includes the closure of the group’s office and blocks on its social media content and bank accounts.
The court’s action follows the arrest of 14 members of the organisation last week. They are suspected of encouraging hatred towards vulnerable groups and people whose political ideologies differ from their own. The allegations are the subject of the investigation under which the judge imposed the suspension.
The ruling comes as Spain approaches a general election scheduled for November 29. It was announced a day after the country held its first nationwide general strike in 14 years, placing the court’s decision less than three weeks before voters are due to go to the polls.
Nucleo Nacional responded in a video published on X. An unnamed representative, dressed in a black shirt bearing the organisation’s logo, portrayed the movement as the target of persecution and political repression. The accompanying post expressed defiance and said the group would not be defeated.
The organisation presents itself as a political movement. Its website, which has also been blocked and suspended under the court order, described its aim as bringing about a national awakening. Spanish authorities have examined its anti-immigration rhetoric, particularly following the arrival of thousands of migrants in July in Ceuta, Spain’s enclave in North Africa.
Police searched the organisation’s Madrid headquarters as well as other locations. According to police, the searches uncovered more than 20 firearms, including some without licences. Officers also reported seizing large quantities of ammunition and other illegal weapons.
The court said precautionary restrictions had already been imposed on key figures within the organisation. Those measures prohibit them from leaving Spain and require them to appear before a court once a week.
Separately, Reuters reported last month that police in Madrid arrested three members of a far-right group on October 3 after tens of thousands of people demonstrated across Spain over the housing crisis. The Spanish government said far-right activists attempted to reach protesters camped in Puerta del Sol square, with some of the activists performing Nazi salutes.
