Four men from the Swedish branch of the international far-right 'active club' network have been sentenced to prison for racially motivated assaults in Stockholm. The Stockholm district court ruled on Tuesday that the three violent attacks, which occurred on the night of 27 August, constituted hate crimes.
The court described Aktivklubb Sverige (AKS) as a far-right organisation with racist elements that engages in martial arts. The men, aged between 21 and 23, were jailed for between six months and three years and ordered to pay damages. At least two of the men made Nazi salutes during the attacks.
The victims included Mohammad Aluaudt Allah, a Syrian refugee, who was kicked unconscious. He told Dagens Nyheter that he could no longer go outside without panic and had left Sweden. Another victim, a 43-year-old man, was racially abused and suffered headaches and vision problems. A third victim, aged 27, was punched and kicked before being dragged towards a train platform.
District attorney Gustav Andersson said house searches revealed material linking all four men to a right-wing extremist movement. The victims' lawyer, Elias Bulale, said all three men suffered gravely and felt unsafe. The Swedish centre for preventing violent extremism estimates there are about 10 active clubs in Sweden, with close connections to groups in Europe and the US.
