The annual reports contain a summary of our activities and collaborations during the year, a management report and a financial report.
During the year, we kick-started a new, specially focused programme to empower human rights defenders who live with threats. We succeeded beyond all expectations. The result was thirteen training courses – more than one a month – on digital and physical security for 130 human rights defenders in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, East Africa and Southeast Asia.
The need of increased support to human rights defenders at risk characterised our work in 2011. Regimes in many parts of the world intensified the oppression against those who fight for our rights. We started an emergency fund in order to assist in urgent situations. We also sued Sweden before the European Court for a fatal shooting which shows significant defects within the Swedish police. Read more in our Annual Report.
During 2010 we were instrumental in the first-ever Pride Festival being held in Belgrade, Serbia. During the elections in Belarus we reported directly to foreign media about the regime’s actions to silence the opposition. Through the Stockholm Process vulnerable human rights defenders from the North Caucasus recieve an opportunity to exchange experiences at the same [...]
On September 11th 2009, we took a major step in the organisation’s history by changing our name to Civil Rights Defenders. We were heartened by the extremely positive response to the new name. The photo exhibition “Our Rights”, produced in partnership with the famous photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin, informed hundreds of thousands of people about [...]
This is the last annual report from the Swedish Helsinki Committee. From september 11th 2009 we are Civil Rights Defenders. During 2008 our work contributed to Serbia passing a law against discrimination, to Russia being convicted of serious violations against human rights for the hundredth time by the European Court of Justice, and to Sweden [...]
We monitor authorities while focusing on the rights of the individual. During the last year we strengthened our work for rule of law, for freedom of expression, and against discrimination by concentrating our efforts within each area. At the same time we have broadened our activities geographically to include Central Asia. Download Annual report 2006
In 2005, the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights cooperated with almost 100 organisations that were active in the countries of former Yugoslavia, Albania, Moldova, Russia (Chechnya) and Belarus. During this year we expanded our geographical area and initiated a long term engagement in Southern Caucasus. Download Annual report 2005
In the Balkans, minorities live under oppression. In Chechnya people “disappear” and in Belarus, the state monopolises information. People’s rights must be vindicated each and every day, even in Sweden. Download Annual report 2004
Nationalism, corruption and violations of human rights continued to spread during 2003. We work to strengthen civil society and ward off destructive forces, and we provide a scrutinising eye that critically monitors the human rights situation, not least in our home country of Sweden. Download Annual report 2003
During 2002, we continued to strengthen civil society on the Balkans and in Eastern Europe by way of independent media and NGOs. We train police officers in human rights and arrange courses for youths in the basics of a state governed by law. At home we have thoroughly examined the terrorist act and the Gothenburg [...]
Most countries where the Swedish Helsinki Committee is active seem to be in a transitional phase where they are starting to adopt democracy. In 2001, we gave support to human rights organisations on the Serbian countryside. The Annual Report for 2001 exists only in Swedish
The continued bad human rights conditions in the Western Balkans led to the Committee largely focusing its resources to this region during the year. In all, during 2000, we worked with more than 85 different project partners in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, Macedonia (FYROM), Montenegro and Serbia. Download Annual report 2000
During the last few years, human rights have been in focus more than ever. It is an issue that is under constant debate, conferences are arranged and contracts are signed and people are more aware of their rights. Regrettably, the respect of human rights as shown by governments and their application of them are still [...]
The year of 1998 has been an intensive year for the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights. Thanks to increased funds we have been able to extend our activities and to develop our work in a satisfying way. This in turn created the need to increase our personal resources and to strengthen the employees already [...]
Looking back at the year of 1997, the human rights situation over the world is all but encouraging. Death penalty, torture, persecutions, oppression of minority groups, extra-judicial executions, censorship and prohibition of demonstrations are just some of the violations of human rights, which are still taking place in all regions of the world. Download Annual [...]
Natasha Jevtic Esbjörnson
Phone: +46 76 576 27 62
His burnt body was returned to the family in a plastic bag. The European Court has found Russia responsible for human rights violations in the North Caucasus, in more than one hundred cases, as a result of our work.
(Photo: Joanna Kurosz)
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