Swedish prosecutors are seeking multi-year prison sentences for four men linked to a neo-Nazi group. The men face charges for three racially motivated violent attacks in Stockholm.
Prosecutor Gustav Andersson argued in Stockholm District Court that three defendants should receive four years and six months in prison. He requested a slightly shorter sentence for the fourth man.
All four men in their twenties are accused of assaulting three individuals with foreign backgrounds. One victim was also robbed during the August 27 attacks in central Stockholm.
Andersson described the incidents as hate crimes with racist motivations. He said the attackers appeared to randomly select victims based on their foreign appearance.
The assaults occurred in groups where the victims were outnumbered and taken by surprise. The hate crime element constitutes an aggravating circumstance that should influence sentencing, according to the prosecutor.
Victims testified about experiencing completely unprovoked violence. One victim described the attackers as appearing trained to cause harm. Another recalled being struck before he could even process what was happening.
All four defendants are connected to the neo-Nazi group Aktivklubb Sweden. Through their lawyers, they deny most charges while admitting involvement in one assault captured on surveillance footage.
The men claim self-defense for the final attack and suggest community service would be appropriate punishment if convicted. One defendant denied posing any threat to society when questioned.
The charges include aggravated assault, assault, and robbery. The first attack involved four men brutally beating a victim on Kungsgatan street.
Minutes later, a lone man smoking outside was struck from behind and fell to the ground. Witnesses describe how the attackers continued kicking and punching him while he lay defenseless. The violence caused him to lose several teeth.
That victim remembers nothing of the incident and cannot understand why he was targeted. A third assault occurred on the subway where three men attacked another individual. Surveillance footage clearly shows the unprovoked nature of this attack.
These cases highlight ongoing concerns about organized racist violence in Sweden. The detailed evidence and multiple witnesses suggest the prosecution has built a strong case against the accused.