Facebook indefinitely suspended then-President Donald Trump's accounts in January after a mob of his supporters stormed the U.S.

Capitol, the company's Oversight Board said on Wednesday.

That means the company does not have to reinstate Trump's access to Facebook and Instagram immediately.

But the panel said the company was wrong to impose an indefinite ban and said Facebook has six months to either restore Trump's account, make his suspension permanent, or suspend him for a specific period of time.

Trump's posts, there was a clear, immediate risk of harm and his words of support for those involved in the riots legitimized their violent actions," the Oversight Board wrote in the announcement of its decision.

In a statement, Trump said Facebook, as well as Twitter and Google, had taken away his free speech.

"What people need to understand now is that the Oversight Board, which has still left the door open on this issue, is not the cure for what ails us on social media," said Jim Steyer of the nonprofit Common Sense, who has been a vocal critic of Facebook, in a statement.

The only way to stop the spread of misinformation and disinformation on social media, he said, "is independent, democratically accountable oversight of [Facebook CEO] Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.".

Zuckerberg said at the time of the suspension in January that he believed the risk of allowing Trump to keep using the platform was "simply too great." When Facebook referred the decision to the Oversight Board several weeks later, the company said it believed the move "was necessary and right," given the "extraordinary circumstances.".

The board says it received 9,666 comments on Trump's suspension.

Many researchers and civil rights groups said Facebook was right to ban Trump because of his efforts to undermine the election and encourage violence.

The board also received a "user statement" on behalf of Trump as part of its deliberations