Four Sentenced in Stockholm Over Brutal Immigrant Attacks Linked to White‑Supremacist "Active Clubs"

Stockholm — A Stockholm court on Tuesday sentenced four young men to prison terms after finding they committed hate crimes when they attacked three immigrant men in the city on Aug. 27. The defendants, aged 20 to 23, were linked to Aktivklubb Sverige (AKS), a group described by authorities as having far‑right and racist elements.

Court ruling and the assaults

The men received sentences of three to three-and-a-half years for aggravated assault. Prosecutors say the attackers first struck a Black man with an umbrella while shouting racial slurs, then knocked a man of Syrian origin to the ground and kicked him in the head until he lost consciousness and four teeth. In a third incident the same night, three of the defendants beat another man on a subway train.

Evidence and testimony

During the trial, prosecutors introduced material seized from the defendants, including notebooks marked with swastikas and stickers that read "Love Sweden, Hate Islam." The court said the men, all of Swedish origin, had ties to Aktivklubb Sverige and that at least two performed Hitler salutes during the incidents. The court found that all convictions except for a vandalism count were motivated by hate; the vandalism charge concerned neo‑Nazi graffiti on shop windows.

"I was beaten severely ... I didn't even have time to think before he took a running start and hit me with full force," the subway victim testified.

Victims described lasting trauma. One testified that the attackers seemed trained: "It was as if these people knew what they were doing, that they were practicing kickboxing or something similar, that they were training to injure." The defendants denied the charges apart from the final assault seen on security footage and claimed self‑defense.

Origins and spread of "Active Clubs"

Swedish anti‑racism group Expo and the Swedish Center for Preventing Violent Extremism say "Active Clubs" are loosely organized gym‑based networks that promote white‑nationalist, misogynistic and hyper‑masculine ideology and can encourage violence outside gym settings against immigrants, women, Jewish and LGBTQ people. Sweden's security service (Sapo) has warned such groups can radicalize young men drawn to violence and extremist camaraderie.

Watchdogs in the United States, including the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti‑Defamation League, have traced parts of the Active Club model to U.S. organizers. Robert Rundo, a California‑based white‑supremacist activist, popularized the concept through an "Active Club Podcast" beginning in 2021 and advocated a decentralized, local approach to recruitment. Rundo was arrested in Romania in 2023 after a U.S. extradition request and was released in December 2024 after a sentence accounting for time served.

Public safety concerns

Authorities and experts say the case underscores broader concerns about the spread of extremist networks that combine physical training, group bonding and ideological messaging. Officials warn such groups can escalate into targeted violence and emphasize the need for monitoring, prevention programs and support for victims.

Advocates and security services have called for continued vigilance and community outreach to reduce radicalization risks and to protect vulnerable groups targeted by hate‑motivated violence.