Hateful Neo-Nazi propagandist who called for extermination of Jews and gay people jailed for four years
Neo-Nazi propagandist Luke Hunter
A neo-Nazi propagandist who called for gay people and Jews to be exterminated has been jailed for four years.
Luke Hunter, of Newcastle, was sentenced to four years behind bars at Leeds Crown Court last Wednesday (23 December) after he admitted seven charges of encouraging terrorism and disseminating terrorist publications.
The 23-year-0ld was a key figure in the online neo-Nazi movement, tied with the now-banned terrorist organisation Feuerkrieg Division (FKD).
According to the UK’s Counter Terrorism Policing Network, Hunter was “persistent and prolific in his efforts to promote right-wing terrorism, utilising a variety of platforms and accounts to spread his hateful ideology and encourage others to do the same”.
The neo-Nazi “established his own website through which to disseminate his vile white supremacist, anti-Semitic and homophobic views,” police say, noting that his work “had a significant online reach, particularly among young people.”
Neo-Nazi propagandist Luke Hunter ‘encouraged the killings of Jews, non-whites and homosexuals’
His Telegram channel, where he shared designs glorifying Admiral Duncan bomber David Copeland, Jo Cox’s murderer Thomas Mair and white supremacist mass murder Dylann Roof, attracted more than 1,200 subscribers.
Anti-extremist group Hope Not Hate, which tracks online extremism, reports that Hunter “produced hundreds of hours of podcasts, multitudes of graphic designs, and dozens of stylised fascist videos” which were promoted across his websites, numerous Twitter accounts, YouTube, Instagram, and the messaging apps Telegram and Discord.
He was arrested last October after an investigation into right-wing terrorism. Searches of Hunter’s home yielded Nazi memorabilia, white supremacist texts, military training manuals and guides on guerrilla warfare.
Detective chief superintendent Martin Snowden, head of Counter Terrorism Policing North East, said: “Hunter invested a lot of effort in maintaining his website, his online presence and his status among like-minded individuals. He saw himself as an influencer and even sought to widen his following by speaking at a right wing conference in the UK.
“These actions are not simply the result of a young person simply seeking to explore and express their social or political views. Hunter promoted neo-Nazism to the widest possible audience and was reckless about the consequences.
“Through his pleas, Hunter accepts he was responsible for the hateful posts on his accounts, posts which glorified terrorism, promoted killing techniques and encouraged the killing of Jews, non-white races and homosexuals.
“Luke Hunter represents a threat to our society, not simply because of his mindset, but because of the considerable lengths he was prepared to go to in order to recruit and enable others in support of his cause.”
Far-right propagandists fuel online radicalisation efforts
Hope Not Hate warned: “The milieu to which Hunter belonged regards mass murder as a means to revolution and retribution, but also as a form of entertainment. Talk in the media of ‘lone wolf’ far-right terrorists can, when used incorrectly, give the impression that an individual has radicalised in complete isolation.
“However, while some terrorists do plan and carry out their attacks alone, they near-universally emerge from an ecosystem of sorts. Hunter, and others like him, intended to foster such an ecosystem.
“The hate that motivates modern far-right terrorists may be old, but they have found new ways to operate and organise. Telegram continues to fail to take appropriate action against the dangerous hate operating through its software.
“Hunter’s channel remains available on the platform, and his violent propaganda continues to be circulated by other channels. All tech companies have a responsibility to deal with the use of their platforms for nefarious purposes, and Telegram must be held to account.”
PinkNews has contacted Telegram for comment.
