External sponsors and wealthy donors

External support for violent extremism means helping violent extremist groups or individuals with money, training, supplies, safe places or ideas that come from outside their home country. This support often serves political or strategic goals by spreading extremist beliefs and enabling these groups to operate more effectively.

For example, violent far-right extremists are active in Montenegro, where several pro-Serbian groups emerged after a series of protests related to the 2019 enactment of the Law on Religious Freedom and the 2020 parliamentary election.³⁵ These groups, including Saint Michael’s Choir, Stupovi and Zavjetnici Tvrdoš, present themselves as patriotic, humanitarian organizations and usually are registered as non-profit organizations. Orthodox brotherhoods in Montenegro are supported by complex networks of actors within the Serbian Orthodox Church, affiliated organizations and the state at national and local levels. In February 2021, for example, the interim Montenegrin government granted €120 000 to the Church’s Eparchy of Budimlja and Nikšić, along with affiliated non-profit organizations such as Saint Michael’s Choir.³⁶ In July 2021, the country’s state-owned electricity company donated €1 000 to the non-profit Veterans of the 63rd Parachute Brigade.³⁷ Kotor Municipality sponsored a cultural-historical forum organized by one of the Orthodox brotherhoods in Montenegro, contributing €400 in August 2021.³⁸