NZ designates three groups terrorist organisations

Prime Minister John Key. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Three international militant groups have been designated terrorist organisations under the Terrorism Suppression Act, Prime Minister John Key said yesterday.

Mr Key said the organisations - the Palestinian Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the National Liberation Army (ELN) of Colombia and Harakat-ul Jihad al Islami of Bangladesh - have each "committed various terrorist acts, including the indiscriminate killing of civilians".

"As a result of the designations, any assets held by the groups and found in New Zealand either now or in the future will be frozen. It will also be a criminal offence to deal with their property or make property or financial services available to them."

It is criminal offence to support terrorists in New Zealand, whether through fundraising, recruiting or harbouring terrorists.

To date New Zealand has designated under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 nearly 500 terrorist groups and individuals listed by the United Nations, and 11 other terrorist entities not listed by the UN.

They are Al-Shabaab (Somalia), ETA (Spain), FARC (Colombia), PKK (Turkey), Indian Mujahideen, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the Real Irish Republican Army, the Continuity Irish Republican Army, the New People's Army/Communist Party of the Philippines, and Hizbollah's military wing.

- NZHERALD STAFF