The minister’s close relative was an active Nazi – Säpo was not aware of it

A government minister has a close relative who was until recently an active right-wing extremist, reports Expo.

The person is linked to a type of violent organization that the police warn about – but Säpo has not been aware of the minister’s situation, writes Expo.

– It’s actually a bit astonishing, says security expert Kim Hakkarainen to the newspaper.

– We are very limited in what we can say, says Johan Wikström at Säpo.

A close relative of a government minister has moved in Nazi circles, reports the anti-racist newspaper Expo.

According to the newspaper, the person has taken an increasingly active role in the Swedish far right for around a year.

Among other things, the person has tried to recruit others into the Nazi organization Free Sweden.

Through social media accounts, the person also claims to have participated in several activities with the Nazi Aktivklubb Sverige, had contact with a member of the Nordic Resistance Movement, and put up far-right stickers. Among other things, one with the words “white zone” in the area where the person lives.

The article in brief

A close relative of a minister was an active Nazi, writes Expo. The person was involved in the extreme right for just over a year.

The relative has attempted to recruit people to the Nazi organization Det fria Sverige and participated in activities with Aktivklubb Sverige.

Aktivklubb Sverige is described by Säpo as a growing, violence-prone right-wing extremist network.

The relative has used several social media accounts – including one followed by the minister – to interact with right-wing extremists.

According to Expo, the security police were not informed of the person’s involvement.

Säpo: “Young people are often attracted to violence”

The latest contact Expo reports on was with Aktivklubb Sverige.

So-called active clubs are a relatively new type of right-wing extremist group in Sweden, which attracts members through, among other things, martial arts.

– Young people are often attracted to violence as an ideology, while the radicalization process is accelerating. In addition to the online problem, active clubs within violent right-wing extremism are also a growing phenomenon in Europe that primarily attracts younger people, says Fredrik Hallström, Chief of Operations at Säpo, in Säpo’s latest status report on threats to Sweden.

In an intelligence report from 2023, the police wrote that Aktivklubb Sverige’s network “is assessed to have access to weapons and explosives and is actively working to improve its combat capabilities,” writes Expo.

The police also wrote, in the same report, that “there is information indicating that the network is conducting a survey of government officials with the aim of exerting influence”.

Taken a more leading role

The minister’s close relatives have several anonymous accounts on social media, where the person shares and interacts with far-right content in various ways.

One of the accounts is more private. The minister and other relatives are followed there. The account is followed back by the minister. That account is also used to contact right-wing extremists.

Among the followers, and those the account follows, there are several right-wing extremists, writes Expo.

Expo reports that the close relative has taken an increasingly leading role in a chat group for the Nazi Free Sweden during the year. Among other things, the person has taken responsibility for organizing meetings.

Last fall, the person wrote about plans to participate in Aktivklubb Sverige’s manifestation in Kungsträdgården, on the anniversary of Charles XII’s death.

Free Sweden and Aktivklubb Sverige

Free Sweden was founded in 2017. The leading figures Dan Eriksson and Magnus Söderman have a long background in Nazi organizations, including the Swedish Resistance Movement, now the Nordic Resistance Movement, and the Party of the Swedes.

Aktivklubb Sverige is a right-wing extremist group that revolves around strength training and martial arts with the aim of building capacity for and practicing violence.

Functions as an umbrella organization for active clubs in Sweden. For example, White Boys – formerly White Boys Stockholm – is found there.

Information: Säpo has not been informed

Last winter, the person wrote, also in internal Nazi chats:

“Imported violence must go away.”

“Imported violence must go away.”

“Time for us Europeans to fight back.”

“Time for us Europeans to fight back.”

When an NMR activist posted that he was being charged with assault and unlawful threats, the minister’s close relatives responded with:

“Freedom for nationalists!”

“Freedom for nationalists!”

But Säpo has not been aware of the person, according to Expo’s information.

Security expert: “Astounding”

Security expert Kim Hakkarainen, with a background in the Military Intelligence and Security Service, is surprised that the minister does not appear to have informed Säpo about his situation.

– If the Security Service doesn’t have this information – it’s actually a bit astonishing, he tells Expo.

– It’s serious. That’s a good word to sum it up: Serious.

– It is a vulnerability that can be used by an antagonist, for example other states or other antagonistic actors who want to harm Sweden in order to influence or use the minister’s relatives as an enabler.

Säpo: “Very limited”

After Expo contacted the minister’s staff about the relative, the account settings were changed and visibility was limited.

Expressen has contacted the government’s acting security chief, Emma Degerfeldt, who has no comments.

“We have no comments and refer all questions to our press service,” the security department writes in a text message.