The office of President Javier Milei said Argentina’s government designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as terrorist organizations, File Photo by Cristobal Herrera-Ulashkevich/EPA
Jan. 15 (UPI) — Argentina’s government designated branches of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan as terrorist organizations, the office of President Javier Milei said.
The designation is based on official reports documenting transnational illicit activities, including acts of terrorism, public calls for violent extremism, links to other terrorist organizations and their potential impact on Argentina, according to the statement.
The decision Wednesday came one day after U.S. President Donald Trump‘s administration took the same step.
According to Washington, while the movement claims to have abandoned violence, its affiliates in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon continue to promote and support terrorist activities, including backing groups such as Hamas.
U.S. officials said those structures have inspired, financed and facilitated actions by organizations considered a direct threat to the security of the United States and its allies, and that the designations aim to curb their operational and financial capacity.
Argentina’s official statement said the decision was adopted through coordination among the ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Security and Justice, as well as the Intelligence Secretariat, within the framework of Argentina’s international commitments to combat terrorism and its financing.
“With this measure, mechanisms for the prevention, early detection and punishment of terrorism and those who finance it are strengthened, so that members of the Muslim Brotherhood and their allies cannot operate freely,” the government said.
Milei’s administration added these Islamist groups to the Public Registry of Persons and Entities Linked to Acts of Terrorism and Its Financing, known by its Spanish acronym RePET.
RePET is an official registry that allows authorities to identify and apply legal and financial restrictions on individuals and entities linked to terrorist activities, including asset freezes and limits on operating within the financial system.
In its statement, Argentina’s presidency underscored Milei’s “unwavering commitment” to “recognizing terrorists for what they are,” and recalled that his government had already designated Hamas and Cartel de los Soles as terrorist organizations.
The Muslim Brotherhood has also been designated a terrorist organization by countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, while Jordan banned the group in April last year.