Following the killing of a 27-year old man in Switzerland in October 2026, reportedly by a member of the neo-Nazi Blood & Honour network, this article examines the connections between Blood & Honour and the Active Club network.

The Counter Extremism Project assesses the strategy behind the transnational violent extreme-right Active Club network as an adaptation to increased law-enforcement pressure, aimed at recruiting, organizing, and training militant white men for targeted violence. In 2026, CEP analyzed the Active Club´s renewed strategic messaging and the network’s use of the Belfast riots as a case study for violent mobilization. Further publications examined the recruitment of women and youth, plans to establish counter-communities and economic infrastructure, and the recruitment of insecure men through fitness, belonging, and militant masculinity.

Key Findings

• Blood & Honour (B&H), a transnational neo-Nazi network, may be adopting a new approach to recruiting younger militants in Switzerland. Swiss Active Clubs openly cooperate with B&H-associated actors, displaying B&H and Combat 18 symbols and participating in joint combat-sports training. This raises the possibility that B&H is using Active Clubs to recruit younger men and strengthen its militant capabilities. 
• The Active Club strategy offers established neo-Nazi networks opportunities to adapt to increasing government pressure. The strategy was developed in the United States. It uses fitness, combat sports, and community activities to recruit and organize ideologically committed men. Its long-term objective is to build a decentralized, militia-like network whose members could be mobilized for coordinated political violence. Presenting themselves as sports clubs helps Active Clubs attract recruits and reduce law-enforcement scrutiny.
• Established neo-Nazi networks have previously contributed to Active Club development. Hammerskins members helped establish early Active Clubs in North America. Connections between Hammerskins and Active Clubs have also been documented in Europe. Cooperation between B&H and Swiss Active Clubs may reflect a similar approach to recruiting younger men and building militant capabilities.
• Proposed Swiss legislation could create additional incentives for organizational adaptation. Unlike several other countries, Switzerland has not imposed a nationwide ban on B&H. However, currently proposed legislation would expand the government's ability to prohibit organizations promoting violent extremism or terrorism and restrict the public display of Nazi symbols. These developments could encourage the creation of less conspicuous organizational structures like Active Clubs.
• Authorities and researchers should investigate this potential strategy. Assessments should examine whether established violent extremist networks are using Active Clubs to recruit, develop militant capabilities, and conceal these objectives behind legitimate-looking sports activities. International cooperation and targeted prevention are essential.

Firearms seized during a police raid against Combat 18, the militant wing of the Blood & Honour network, displayed at the Schleswig-Holstein State Criminal Police Office in Kiel, Germany, October 28, 2003. 

A Fatal Confrontation Brings Blood & Honour Back into Focus

A 27-year-old German man was killed during an afterparty following a concert in Tuggen, Switzerland, on the night of October 17–18, 2026. According to eyewitness accounts, a group of neo-Nazis wearing "Blood & Honour Zürich" shirts had earlier provoked concertgoers with Nazi salutes and was removed by security. During a subsequent fight, the victim was reportedly knocked to the ground by a punch. He later died at a hospital. Multiple sources reported that the arrested suspect had been active in Blood & Honour for years.

The case has drawn renewed attention to Blood & Honour's activities in Switzerland. It has also brought another development into focus: the network's increasingly visible relationship with Swiss Active Clubs. Following the U.S. Active Club strategy, these younger violent right-wing extremist groups present themselves through fitness, combat sports, and community activities. Yet several have openly displayed B&H symbols and documented joint training with its members. Could B&H be adopting the Active Club strategy to recruit younger men and strengthen its militant capabilities?

Blood & Honour: An International Neo-Nazi Network with a History of Violence

Blood & Honour was founded in Britain in 1987 by neo-Nazis Ian Stuart Donaldson and Nicky Crane. The name refers to "Blood and Honor," a slogan of the Hitler Youth. The network promotes National Socialist ideology, white supremacy, and antisemitism.

B&H organizes “Rock Against Communism” concerts, distributes propaganda, and sells music and merchandise. These activities aim to support recruitment, generate income, and connect neo-Nazis internationally. 

B&H's history also includes serious violence, particularly through its links to Combat 18. Founded in Britain in the early 1990s, Combat 18 was conceived as the militant wing of the B&H movement, although their organizational relationship has varied across countries. Members and associates of both networks have been implicated in serious violent crimes, including murders, attempted murders, and bomb attacks in several European countries.

Several cases illustrate the network's violent history:

• Switzerland, 2003: Seven right-wing extremists, including B&H members, attacked two young men in Frauenfeld. One victim suffered severe brain injuries. Switzerland's Federal Supreme Court documented the planned attack and the attackers' connections.
• Czech Republic, 2012: Two neo-Nazis associated with Blood & Honour Division Bohemia and Combat 18 threw Molotov cocktails into a residential building in Aš. Eighteen people, including eight children, were inside. Residents extinguished the fire before anyone was injured. In 2015, both attackers were convicted of racially motivated attempted murder and sentenced to six years and nine months in prison. An appeals court upheld the sentences in 2016. 
• Switzerland, 2015: In July 2015, a musician associated with the Blood & Honour-linked neo-Nazi band Amok verbally abused, threatened, and spat at an Orthodox Jewish man in Zurich. In February 2019, the Zurich High Court sentenced him to 12 months of imprisonment for racial discrimination. The musician had previous convictions for violent offenses.
• Portugal, 2025: On June 10, 2025, a group of actors was attacked outside a theater in Lisbon. One person suffered facial injuries and required hospital treatment. Investigators identified a 20-year-old suspect and examined possible links to Blood & Honour. Video footage reportedly showed other suspected B&H associates near the scene. In June 2026, prosecutors confirmed that the investigation remained open and subject to judicial secrecy. 
• Bulgaria, 2026: In July 2026, two young men attacked two Nepalese nationals in Plovdiv, repeatedly punching and kicking them. Prosecutors charged the suspects with causing bodily harm. In August, police raided a local Blood & Honour clubhouse and detained 18 people. Prosecutors confirmed that the 18-year-old suspect was also implicated in the investigation of the local B&H organization. Three people faced charges relating to incitement to discrimination, hatred, and violence. 

The details of the deadly incident on October 17-18, 2026, in Tuggen, Switzerland, are currently being investigated. 

Switzerland: An Important Blood & Honour Hub

Blood & Honour has operated in Switzerland since the late 1990s. Its regional networks have organized concerts, maintained international contacts, and supported neo-Nazi music projects.

An SRF investigation published on October 30, 2026, revealed that Swiss B&H figures played an important role in efforts to rebuild German structures following a ban order in 2000.

SRF examined German investigation files concerning activities during the 2010s. According to these records, German activists sought approval from Swiss representatives for organizational decisions, leadership appointments, and music distribution.

The investigation also linked the massive 2016 neo-Nazi concert in Unterwasser to a project called "Reunion28." Around 5,000 people attended. Blood & Honour remains active in Switzerland today. Reportedly, approximately 150 neo-Nazis attended another B&H-organized concert in Thusis in spring 2026. These findings indicate that Switzerland has served as both a concert location and a center for international organizational contacts.

Active Clubs: Building a Shadow Militia Behind a Fitness Image

Founded in the United States around 2020, Active Clubs present themselves as fitness and combat-sports groups. However, their underlying strategy aims to build a decentralized, violence-ready network that could function as a stand-by militia. The sports-club image aims to attract recruits while reducing law-enforcement scrutiny. They have also promoted permanent infrastructure for a counter-society, including gyms and businesses. The recruitment strategy appeals to insecure and isolated young men by offering belonging, status, and personal empowerment through extremist ideology and violence. Individual clubs differ in their capabilities and readiness for targeted violence. 

Swiss Active Clubs Openly Train with Blood & Honour

Several Active Clubs have emerged in Switzerland since 2024. They include Active Club Helvetia and regional groups such as Zürich, Ticino, Edelweiss, and Romandia.

Swiss Active Clubs have also publicly threatened and intimidated political opponents. In February 2026, Active Club Romandia declared, “We will hunt you down wherever you are,” following neo-Nazi graffiti at a cultural center in Lausanne. In March, the group claimed that it was keeping track of “traitors and cowards” and would not forget them. These statements suggest intimidation and possible retaliation. They provide further evidence of the threatening rhetoric accompanying the clubs' public fitness and community activities. 

Figure 1: Active Club Romandia published photographs of masked activists posing with smoke flares in front of neo-Nazi graffiti at a cultural center in Lausanne. The February 18, 2026, Telegram post included the threat: “Ni oubli, ni pardon. Partout nous vous traquerons” (“Neither forgetting nor forgiveness. We will hunt you down wherever you are”). Source: Active Club Romandia, Telegram, February 2026, reposted by Active Club Helvetia.

Also, their relationship with Blood & Honour has become increasingly visible.

On March 30, 2026, a Swiss Active Club published a photograph of two men boxing in front of a Blood & Honour flag displaying Combat 18 symbols. SRF reported on the publication in April.

On August 24, 2026, Active Club Helvetia announced that Active Club Zürich, Active Club Ticino, and Active Club Edelweiss had participated in a sparring session hosted by the "28er guys."

Figure 2: Members of Swiss Active Clubs pose with Blood & Honour flags and an Active Club banner following a joint combat-sports training session. In an August 24, 2026, Telegram post, Active Club Helvetia stated that Active Club Zürich, Active Club Ticino, and Active Club Edelweiss had attended a sparring session hosted by the “28er guys.” The number 28 is a recognized code for Blood & Honour. Source: Active Club Helvetia, Telegram, August 24, 2026.

Three Swiss Active Clubs thus publicly acknowledged taking part in a combat-sports event hosted by a group identifying itself through the B&H code.

An Old Strategy with New Partners?

CEP's 2023 report described reported Hammerskins involvement in early Active Club development. The Hammerskins emerged in Dallas, Texas, in 1988 and developed into an international neo-Nazi skinhead network involved in white supremacist music, recruitment, and militant activities. Members were convicted of racist attacks against Black, Hispanic, Jewish, and Sikh people.

In the United States, Robert Rundo and Hammerskins members founded the first Active Clubs. Hammerskins members later also participated in Active Club activities. In Canada, an undercover investigation identified senior Vinland Hammerskins members as organizers of early Active Clubs, indicating that established neo-Nazi networks could use the new model to expand recruitment. In Sweden, close connections between Hammerskins and the Active Club milieu are documented, including joint involvement in international combat-sports events. In Germany, Hammerskins played an important role in establishing neo-Nazi combat-sports networks that predate the Active Clubs.

These findings suggest that established neo-Nazi networks have previously contributed to newer extremist combat-sports structures.

In Switzerland, the documented partner is Blood & Honour. This is noteworthy because Blood & Honour and the Hammerskins historically competed for influence within the neo-Nazi scene, particularly over the lucrative business of organizing concerts and distributing extremist music. However, their relationship gradually shifted toward greater cooperation, particularly from the 2010s onward.

The evidence raises the possibility that different established violent neo-Nazi networks are using the Active Club strategy to recruit younger men with a taste for violence. 

Could Active Clubs Become a Blood & Honour Recruitment Pipeline?

The public display of B&H and Combat 18 symbols by Swiss Active Clubs is particularly interesting. The original Active Club strategy emphasizes looking ordinary and avoiding unnecessary law enforcement attention. Yet Swiss Active Clubs repeatedly publish openly neo-Nazi imagery. This could serve several purposes.

It may communicate credibility and militant commitment within the neo-Nazi scene. It may be used to reach prospective recruits through mainstream media coverage of Active Clubs. For B&H, cooperation with Active Clubs could provide access to younger men who are less attracted to traditional neo-Nazi groups. 

Three explanations remain possible.

First, Swiss Active Clubs may be independent organizations cooperating with B&H through personal relationships and shared interests.

Second, individual B&H members may be helping establish or support local Active Clubs.

Third, B&H may be adopting the Active Club strategy to recruit younger men and develop a new generation of trained militants. Open cooperation has been documented; evidence for a directed recruitment strategy and organizational framework remains unproven at this time.

Figure 3: Illustrative analytical model showing how established neo-Nazi networks such as Blood & Honour and the Hammerskins could use the Active Club strategy for organizational adaptation. The model distinguishes between the public appearance of Active Clubs and their potential underlying objectives. Source: CEP analysis.

Banning Blood & Honour: Effectiveness and Limitations

Several governments have already taken specific measures against B&H and Combat 18.

Germany banned B&H in 2000 because its activities opposed the constitutional order and international understanding. Combat 18 Germany was prohibited in 2020, with authorities citing its National Socialist ideology, violent orientation, and unlawful activities.

Spain dissolved Blood & Honour España in 2010. Courts convicted members of operating an illegal association that promoted racial hatred, discrimination, and violence. The Spanish Supreme Court upheld the dissolution in 2011.

Russia's Supreme Court outlawed B&H in May 2012. Russian prosecutors accused the network of promoting racial hatred and involvement in extremist and terrorist crimes.

France dissolved Blood and Honour Hexagone in 2019. The government cited neo-Nazi propaganda, glorification of violence, military-style organization, weapons-related investigations, and combat-sports training. In December 2022, a court acquitted three former leaders of the separate criminal charge of participating in a combat group. Other defendants were convicted of weapons offenses.

Canada designated B&H and Combat 18 as terrorist entities in June 2019, citing their involvement in serious violence, including murders and bombings.

The United Kingdom imposed counterterrorism financial sanctions on B&H in January 2025, explicitly including Combat 18. Authorities cited the promotion and financing of terrorism and recruitment for terrorist purposes. The measure freezes assets and restricts financial support. 

Effects of Government Measures 

The documented effects of government measures against B&H have been mixed. In Germany, the ban on B&H enabled authorities to prosecute attempts to rebuild the organization, including convictions in 2022. However, the German government confirmed in 2026 that successor structures had continued operating. Following separate bans in 2023, several other neo-Nazi groups announced their dissolution, suggesting that government intervention can also trigger preemptive organizational changes. In France, research published in 2026 found that the 2019 bans of Blood & Honour Hexagone and Bastion Social contributed to the fragmentation of extremist networks, while some former members joined other groups. In Canada, authorities reported that the terrorist designations of B&H and Combat 18 contributed to the shutdown of affiliated websites and social media accounts. These cases illustrate how government intervention can disrupt extremist organizations while some members and networks continue operating or adapt to restrictions.

Switzerland: New Legislation Could Expand Restrictions on Neo-Nazi Organizations 

Switzerland has not introduced a nationwide organizational ban on Blood & Honour. However, Switzerland is currently considering two legislative changes that could affect neo-Nazi organizations such as B&H. A proposed reform would allow the government to ban organizations that promote violent extremism or terrorism and pose a concrete security threat without requiring a corresponding United Nations decision. A separate proposal would prohibit the public display of Nazi symbols, including online, without banning the organizations themselves. Both proposals remain under parliamentary consideration. These developments could provide an additional incentive for established neo-Nazi networks to adopt less conspicuous organizational structures, such as Active Clubs, to reduce government scrutiny and prepare for possible future restrictions.

Policy Recommendations

• Investigate the relationship between Blood & Honour and Swiss Active Clubs. Swiss security authorities should examine overlapping memberships, organizational leadership, recruitment activities, shared facilities, financial relationships, and joint training. Investigations should distinguish between independent cooperation, support from individual B&H members, and a coordinated B&H strategy to recruit and train younger militants.
• Assess the potential for violence beyond the public sports-club image. Threat assessments should examine documented intimidation, threats against political opponents, involvement in violent incidents, and indications of preparations for targeted violence. Particular attention should be paid to whether joint training and cooperation with established extremist networks contribute to organizational and mobilization capabilities.
• Monitor organizational adaptation and strengthen international cooperation. Government bans and other countermeasures should be assessed for their effects on extremist networks, including disruption, continued activity, and the emergence of successor structures. Swiss authorities should cooperate with international partners to investigate transnational relationships involving B&H, Hammerskins, and Active Clubs.
• Strengthen targeted prevention of extremist recruitment. Prevention efforts should address the recruitment of young men through promises of strength, belonging, status, and personal empowerment. Sports organizations, martial arts instructors, youth workers, and relevant community organizations can help identify and counter extremist recruitment efforts. Measures should be proportionate, distinguish extremist recruitment from legitimate sports activities, and avoid stigmatizing participants in combat sports.

CEP Resources

Blood & Honour (B&H) | Counter Extremism Project

Active Clubs | Counter Extremism Project

CEP Video / Webinar