Is it true that the photo shows Ukrainian refugees in Croatia?

In July 2022, photographs of men whose bodies were covered with Nazi tattoos appeared on social networks. Internet users claimed that these were refugees from Ukraine, carefree vacationing in Europe. We have verified the accuracy of such publications.

In mid-July, social media users shared two photos showing two men in a coastal cafe. On their bodies there are tattoos of swastikas, Wolfsangels, the inscription Sieg Heil and even a portrait of Adolf Hitler. It is alleged that the photographs were taken in Croatia and depicted Ukrainian refugees.

On VKontakte, similar publications can be found, in particular, in public pages "Strength in Truth", "Intolerant Rus'", "Sheremet News "Nine and a Half"", "Novorossiya info", "Donbass | Main news" And "Russian Dnepropetrovsk". Pictures were also shared on Telegram - for example, in the channel “News from Donbass?? Donetsk?? Russia ?? DPR". Users also identified men as Ukrainian refugees in Croatia Facebook* And Twitter.

The assertion that the photographs depict Ukrainians who came to Croatia has spread widely not only in Russian. Such publications attracted the attention of our colleagues from AFP, who were able to reliably installwho is actually captured in the photographs. The photographs were sent to fact checkers by journalist Michael Colborne, an expert on Ukrainian far-right organizations.

Colborne's message included a link to the Croatian website Antifašistički Vjesnik. In a note on this portal approved, that two men with Nazi tattoos were photographed back in early July 2022 in the port city of Rijeka, but the picture shows not Ukrainians at all, but Hungarians who hold neo-Nazi views.

AFP confirmed that, as Antifašistički Vjesnik reported, the photo was taken in the Morski Prasac bar. You can verify this by comparing the background of the photo and the panorama available on Google Street View. This is the same place checked Croatian police, who received a report on July 13 about two men with neo-Nazi tattoos seen in Rijeka. The establishment told the police that they had seen these people about ten days ago.

July 3 in Telegram appeared message that the day before a concert was held in Rijeka, which was attended by about 70 people from several European countries. The post was published in the channel of the far-right group Blood and Honor (“Blood and Honor”) - Counter Extremism Project reportsthat its supporters “promote white supremacist ideology through the organization of music festivals and the distribution of recordings.” Supreme Court of the Russian Federation admitted “Blood and Honor” by an extremist association in 2012.

Among the groups participating in the concert was the Hungarian band Fehér Törvény (“White Law”). Fact checkers identified the band's guitarist as the man depicted in the viral photo on the left. For example, he can be seen on the recording of one of the group’s performances, published on YouTube. According to his Facebook profile, the musician's name is Christophe Anka.

Having studied Anka’s list of friends on the social network, our colleagues from AFP also discovered a second man, whom Internet users considered a Ukrainian refugee. His name is Adam Toth. Judging by the posts on his profile, the man is a fan of Fehér Törvény. Together with Anka he appeared in photographs on the Telegram channel of the Aryan Straight Edge Brigade, which defines itself as “a nationalist straight edge movement in Hungary.” How explains The Anti-Defamation League, Heat Edge (or National Socialist Straight Edge) is a small white supremacist offshoot stemming from the non-racist straight edge movement that originated among punks in the 1980s.

Shortly before its appearance in Croatia, Fehér Törvény performed in the Hungarian town of Velence. The local municipality condemned the event, noting that it was not familiar with its program and did not issue the appropriate permit. “Inappropriate, hateful and inflammatory lyrics were heard at a music festival last weekend. <…> There is legitimate outrage when we hear racist and Nazi texts in our city,” stated authorities. The municipality added that it will take the necessary measures to prevent a similar situation from happening again.

Thus, contrary to reports from Internet users, the viral photo does not depict Ukrainian refugees, but representatives of the marginal far-right music scene from Hungary.

*Russian authorities think Meta Platforms Inc., which owns the social network Facebook, is an extremist organization; its activities in Russia are prohibited.

Cover photo: Twitter

Not true

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. AFP Factual. Non, ces hommes couverts de tatouages ​​nazis en Croatie ne sont pas des Ukrainiens
2. Is the video true about how Ukrainian refugees in Germany tried to burn the Russian flag and ended up burning down the house where they were housed?
3. Is it true that Ukrainian refugees in Italy beat the granddaughter of Joseph Brodsky?