Swedish prosecutors have requested multi-year prison sentences for four men accused of racially motivated assaults in central Stockholm. Three defendants face four years and six months imprisonment, while the fourth would receive a slightly shorter sentence.
The men, all in their twenties, allegedly attacked three men of foreign background during the night of August 27. One victim was also robbed during the assault. Prosecutor Gustav Andersson argued these were hate crimes targeting randomly selected individuals based on their foreign appearance.
What makes these attacks particularly concerning? The victims were outnumbered when suddenly ambushed, leaving them no chance to defend themselves. The racist motivation constitutes an aggravating circumstance that should increase the sentences, according to the prosecution.
Victims testified about experiencing completely unprovoked violence. Mohammad Alaudt Allah described being kicked in the head and having multiple teeth destroyed. He said the attack was ruthless and gave him no opportunity to react.
All four defendants belong to Aktivklubb Sverige, the Swedish branch of an international network of activity clubs. The group has ties to violent right-wing extremism according to security services. White Boys Stockholm represents the largest faction within this network.
Despite overwhelming evidence, including surveillance footage of one assault, the defendants deny all charges except the final attack. For that incident, three men claim self-defense while still requesting community service instead of prison if convicted.
Security services note these activity clubs promote racial ideology and use physical training to build violent capacity. While not currently considered an imminent terror threat, they serve as platforms for radicalizing young men toward violent extremism.
The case highlights growing concerns about organized hate crimes in Sweden's capital city.