Neo-Nazi rapper Philip Hassler, better known by his pseudonym Mr. Bond, has gained prominence for his parody songs of prominent mainstream rappers, integrating National Socialist lyrics into rap. In October 2019, 27-year-old Stephan Balliet used Hassler's song "Power Level" during a livestream while he attacked a synagogue in Halle, Germany, killing two people. Hassler was arrested in January 2021, for "producing and broadcasting Nazi ideas and incitement to hatred" and in 2022 he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Hassler's case has generated a far-reaching discourse about free speech and artistic expression. It has also focused on the issue of prohibited ideologies in Austria, and enforcement of the law in a country where stringent regulations ban National Socialist propaganda.
Evidence And Charges Against Hassler
Between April 2016 and the end of 2019, Hassler produced and disseminated music videos online, many of which glorified Adolf Hitler (in some videos, he dressed and imitated Hitler), National Socialism, the Holocaust, and other atrocities committed by the Nazi regime. The prosecution's case rested heavily on this musical content, which involved the use of Nazi symbols, such as swastikas and the Black Sun, along with numeric codes used by National Socialists.
According to the court, Hassler's music not only infringed on the copyrights of the original rap songs, but actively promoted National Socialist ideology, a serious crime in Austria under the "3G Paragraph" or "NSDAP ban," which prohibits any form of glorification of the Nazi regime and its affiliated symbols. Audio files, memes, and books were seized during an initial raid in 2021. The books include "Hitler's Table Talks," "The Legacy of Our Ancestors," and "Deutschland, Deutschland über alles." Among the incriminating evidence against Hassler were lyrics from an article written by the news and podcast platform "Nordfront," run by Martin Saxlind, and closely affiliated with the pan-Scandinavian neo-Nazi "Nordic Resistance Movement" (NMR).[1] The lyrics cited include: "Jews love to hear the story of how whites live in worry... replaced, hunted, and raped, guarded by the state, freedom of speech taken care of. Yet you will hang if we flip the switch."[2]
Album cover of Mr. Bond's "Mein Kampf" mixtape from 2015.[3]
#FreeMrBond Campaign
Following Hassler's sentence, his U.S.-based fans leapt to his support. Among his supporters are a white supremacist artist who uses the pseudonym Otto Von Lebensraum, also known by his stage name, "Teknein," who runs a record label and merchandise platform "Dresden 86,"[4] based in East Moline, Illinois. His supporters also include Shill-Killa Linney,[5] who launched the "#FreeMrBond" campaign to raise awareness and funds for his defense. The campaign sparked neo-Nazi and white supremacist activism, motivated by the perceived injustice done to Hassler and arguing that Hassler's music is a form of satire and artistic expression. The "#FreeMrBond" campaign contends that Hassler's music, although offensive to some, was no different from the satire and parody commonly found in other genres of music. His supporters understand that his imprisonment is politically motivated, serving as a warning to others in the nationalist community, claiming that the severity of Hassler's sentence is disproportionate to his actions, especially as compared to the punishments of violent criminals.[6] On the #FreeMrBond webpage, his supporters asserted that Hassler did not commit any crimes, but "simply made parody songs with satirical undertones, the same way other musicians have done. Just that they don't sit in a prison cell for up to 20 years."[7]
The Bond Music Archive on Telegram, posted June 18, 2021, https://t.me/MrBondMusic/233.
Cryptocurrency Fundraising And NFTs
To raise money for Hassler's legal expenses, the facilitators of the #FreeBond webpage resorted to cryptocurrency, soliciting funds on the JN webpage, which enables visitors to safely contribute to the Hassler donation fund anonymously. Donations are solicited through Bitcoin (BTC) and Monero (XMR).[8] A new bitcoin (BTC) wallet has been established, replacing a previous one that launched following Hassler's arrest, with the code "1NBG9MSBF363t8J4r9LMYakhjZMnd58Y7N." For every 0.00025 BTC donated, contributors are said to receive a so-called "FreeMrBond NFT," a non-fungible token attached to the blockchain via the Counterparty (XCP) protocol, a platform that expands Bitcoin functionality by enabling users to establish or trade digital tokens or assets directly on the Bitcoin blockchain. The NFTs are then directly transferred to the donor's Bitcoin wallet.[9] Additinally, a Monero address was published on the webpage, following a disruption in services of CoinPayments.
Tokenscan.io offers details on the FreeMrBond NFT.[10]
International Neo-Nazi Support System
Hassler's imprisonment garnered attention among neo-Nazis across the globe. His case is seen as emblematic of the challenges nationalist activists face under stringent anti-Nazi laws in Austria and elsewhere. Nationalist groups have organized financial support through various channels, including the Stockholm-based German initiative, "GefangenenHilfe Freundeskreis," which assists nationalist prisoners and their families. Affiliated entities include "Artikel5 Info,"[11] and "f-s-n – Arbeitskreis Sicherheit,"[12] which facilitate legal and logistical support to nationalist activists and provide extensive information on how to conduct oneself to circumvent legal repercussions. These organizations frequently engage in fundraising through private networks, secret groups, and neo-Nazi events. Occasionally, online donation auctions and similar campaigns are disseminated on Telegram to support individuals like Hassler. Donations are channeled mostly through cryptocurrency, to avoid detection. GefangenenHilfe encourages direct correspondence between prisoners and their supporters, and offers detailed guidelines on how to contact Hassler in prison, including instructions on formatting letters (each page must be numbered, and the sender's address must be included on each page).
GefangenenHilfe published details on how to correspond with Philip Hassler.[13]
Media Attention And Public Discourse
The #FreeMrBond campaign has received some attention in nationalist media outlets, including podcasts and radio programs. One notable appearance was by campaign organizers, Shill-Killa Linney and Teknein, on the neo-Nazi podcast, "Nordic Frontier," hosted by Andreas Johansson and one Alan, which is affiliated with the Neo-Nazi "Nordic Resistance Movement" (NMR). The organizers explained that the launch of the FreeMrBond webpage was to advocate for Hassler's case, calling for his release, and launching financial support for Hassler in his legal fight to shorten his 10-year prison sentence, or to get it set aside. Both guests revealed that they had not contacted Hassler prior to his arrest, largely because he had appeared to be inactive since 2019. The podcast hosts explained that Hassler had ceased producing music around that time, and embarked on a personal journey while also reportedly distancing himself from public exposure, having likely sensed potential legal trouble. He had even requested that his songs not be played on the Nordic Frontier show. Until then, Hassler's songs had been a popular musical break on the podcast/radio show. Teknein, with the support of a dedicated longstanding fan, Shill-Killa Linney, launched the Hassler solidarity project. Linney had initially caught Teknein's attention through a public letter she had published. Early on, the webpage attracted a range of people, including fraudsters, who were later identified and removed. Linney shared that she recorded a phone call with a con artist who claimed to be Hassler, following his arrest in January 2021. Eventually, Linney discovered a forum where someone posted about smuggling a cellphone into prison. Upon communicating with this person, Linney learned that Hassler was, in fact, in the same prison, even serving in the very same unit. This contact led to the discovery of Hasslers real identity, prison information, and legal representation, after some negotiation and bribes. Linney received letters from Hassler in late 2021 and early 2022, all written before his trial.
During a phone call, they criticized the National Socialist Prohibition Law under which Hassler was tried, calling it a "Bolshevik law." The moderator compared this to Sweden's legal environment, where, according to him, hateful speech targeting the native population, such as advocating for the "gassing of Swedes," faces little legal consequence, while anything involving Jewish people or National Socialism is heavily policed and is not considered protected speech.
They said Hassler had been "crucified" for his beliefs and described him as a figure who had inspired many, who had done no harm except to offend, but who nonetheless faced harsh punishment. There was speculation about why Hassler had not left Austria to emigrate to the United States, where he might have enjoyed greater freedom of speech. Many within the international neo-Nazi scene had believed Hassler to be American, a misconception dispelled only after his arrest became public.
As for the choice to use Bitcoin for fundraising, Teknein explained that it was intended to ensure transparency and prevent any misappropriation of funds for the "Free Mr. Bond" campaign. The funds raised are divided into three parts: attorney fees, future commissary needs for Hassler and his brother, and post-release rehabilitation.[14]
The Nordic Resistance Movement has become one of Hassler's most vocal supporters in Europe, discussing his case and promoting the #FreeMrBond campaign through its media channels and affiliated platforms such as the podcast Nordic Frontier or the newspaper Nordfront.[15] The Nordic Resistance Movement and its affiliates recognize the important role Hassler plays on the international neo-Nazi scene.
On March 5, 2022, Nordic Frontier published its 226th podcast episode, titled "Free Mr Bond."[16]
Neo-Nazis Worldwide React To Hassler's Prison Sentence
The imprisonment of Hassler continues to serve as a rallying point for nationalist communities across Europe and North America. On the alternative platform "Gab," as well as the music-sharing platform, "Odysee," Hassler has remained an important and frequent focus of discussion, and his music is often disseminated.
On September 19, 2024, on Gab, the white supremacist channel "Ganaction" posted a screenshot of a music video, presumably by Hassler, depicting four Aryan-looking young girls. The post, initially shared on X by Tom Hennessey,[17] notes: "10 Years for Songs. Our enemies don't play fair because they aren't playing. They have declared war and they will do anything to us to win. Don't ever forget that, ever. Even if you are not Natsoc [National Socialist], to them you are a Nazi and they want you in prison or dead. Mr. Bond from Austria, One of His Songs [...]"[18]
On Gab, the neo-Nazi account, "Hamer_home," posted a music video on September 23 of Hassler, paired with the words: "This song was made by Mr Bond, he was arrested on January 20, 2021, for 'producing and broadcasting Nazi ideas and incitement to hatred.' In 2022, he was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years in prison."[19] The post was initially shared by Tom Hennessey on X.[20]
On Odysee, the channel "Uncle Murray" posted a music video on August 30 titled, "Shootouts Mr. Bond featuring Moonman," which is a compilation of Hassler's music.[21]
On Odysee, the channel "Per H" posted a music video on April 27, 2023, titled "Ashkenazi" by Hassler.[22]
Most recently, activists from the neo-Nazi group, "Info Deutschösterreich," held a presentation at the first congress organized by the neo-Nazi collective, "Nation Europe"[23] in the Ukrainian city of Lviv, raising awareness of Hassler's fate. The campaign launched in solidarity with Hassler, with its innovative use of cryptocurrency and NFTs, represents a new form of fundraising within the nationalist movement. By leveraging decentralized financial tools, the campaign aims to circumvent legal and financial scrutiny while advocating for Hassler's release and providing support during his imprisonment.