A Russian nationalist was on Saturday expelled and banned from Estonia for “posing a threat to the country’s security and public order”.
Police and border guards posted a picture on social media that showed Konstantin Gorlov being escorted across the Koidula border crossing in south Estonia.
His long-term residency permit was revoked and he has been banned from entering Estonia, the police said.
Marta Tuul, a spokesperson for the Internal Security Service, told Estonian's public broadcaster ERR that Gorlov incited hatred between nations over an extended period and posed a threat to Estonia's national security.
"The Estonian state had previously made it clear to Gorlov already that his conduct is in violation of the legal and ethical standards of the Estonian state," Tuul said.
Gorlov was found guilty of justifying the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia on the social media platform TikTok and fined €800 on March 10, Harju County Court said.
It added that he had displayed a Spartak Moscow football club flag that prominently featured a double-headed golden eagle, an element of the Russian Federation's coat of arms.
The court said this symbol was associated with an act of aggression and genocide.
Gorlov has connections with Russia's intelligence services and spreads propaganda on social media, the Internal Security Service said.
Tuul added that Gorlov had established and developed a fighting club linked to the Russian Imperial Legion, the paramilitary wing of the Russian ultranationalist and white supremacist militant organization the Russian Imperial Movement.
Gorlov had a weapons permit revoked in 2022 because he had “systematically expressed loyalty and support for the Russian Federation over an extended period of time and his actions exhibited far-right tendencies,” Tuul said.
His long-term residency permit was revoked and he has been banned from entering Estonia, the police said.
Marta Tuul, a spokesperson for the Internal Security Service, told Estonian's public broadcaster ERR that Gorlov incited hatred between nations over an extended period and posed a threat to Estonia's national security.
"The Estonian state had previously made it clear to Gorlov already that his conduct is in violation of the legal and ethical standards of the Estonian state," Tuul said.
Gorlov was found guilty of justifying the annexation of Ukrainian territory by Russia on the social media platform TikTok and fined €800 on March 10, Harju County Court said.
It added that he had displayed a Spartak Moscow football club flag that prominently featured a double-headed golden eagle, an element of the Russian Federation's coat of arms.
The court said this symbol was associated with an act of aggression and genocide.
Gorlov has connections with Russia's intelligence services and spreads propaganda on social media, the Internal Security Service said.
Tuul added that Gorlov had established and developed a fighting club linked to the Russian Imperial Legion, the paramilitary wing of the Russian ultranationalist and white supremacist militant organization the Russian Imperial Movement.
Gorlov had a weapons permit revoked in 2022 because he had “systematically expressed loyalty and support for the Russian Federation over an extended period of time and his actions exhibited far-right tendencies,” Tuul said.
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