Ottawa (December 8, 2020) - The Royal Canadian Navy informed Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) this morning that following a command-level review of its previous decision to reinstate a sailor with a long history of neo-Nazi activity, a recommendation has been made by his chain of command to release him from the Canadian Armed Forces.

This news follows months of vigorous advocacy efforts by FSWC to combat white supremacy and other forms of extremism in the military. In the summer, FSWC called on the Navy and Minister of National Defence to investigate the decision to reinstate Calgary-based Leading Seaman Boris Mihajlovic - who was found to have connections to the neo-Nazi terrorist organization Blood and Honour and who used the neo-Nazi website Iron March to call for a "race war" and offer to sell weapons to white supremacists - as well as hold Mihajlovic to account.

“We strongly commend the Canadian Navy for their renewed efforts to combat hate and extremism in their ranks and for the decision by Naval chain of command to pursue a release of an individual with deep and longstanding ties to neo-Nazi groups and activities,” said Jaime Kirzner-Roberts, Director of Policy at FSWC. “We look forward to seeing this release take place in an expeditious manner and to seeing all branches of our armed forces fully implementing their new directives against hateful conduct. We are proud to stand in solidarity with our Navy as they send the message loud and clear that those who promote hate and violence have no place in the military.”

A senior Navy official told FSWC today that Mihajlovic has been informed of the chain of command's recommendation and will have the opportunity to make representations during an administrative review, independent of his chain of command, that will be considered by the Director Military Careers and Administration, after which a final determination will be made.