Several new laws give the swedish police opportunity to use covert surveillance to prevent serious crimes. But coercive measures can only be used when there is a marked need, and the measures are proportional to the resulting violation of integrity. Another development that troubles us is the increased legislation that aims at fighting ”terrorism”, which has not been balanced with increased protection of human rights.
Read about the current human rights situation in our country review Human rights in Sweden
The situation of the Roma in Sweden should be addressed as part of the government’s strategy for Roma inclusion. However, the strategy has shortcomings from a rights perspective and lacks concrete measures to combat discrimination against the Roma in Sweden, Civil Rights Defenders writes in the newspaper SvD.
Google, Civil Rights Defenders, Europol, Privacy International and Transparency International are inviting to the Big Tent on Freedom and Safety Online. In the discussion leading figures in government, civil society, technology and the media to debate hot topics at the intersection of individual rights and fighting crime.
At six o’clock in the morning of 30 October 2010, Nizar Khalaili and three of his relatives were arrested after heavily armed police had raided their home. Nizar Khalaili and his relatives were suspected of preparations to commit terrorist acts but after a few days the investigation was closed down. The Police officers and the prosecutor have in their actions breached Swedish law and violated the individuals’ right to personal freedom and private life. Hear Nizar Khalaili’s own story about the fight for redress.
As recognition for his work promoting free expression in Ethiopia, Mesfin Negash, together with 40 other journalists and writers, has received the Hellman/Hammett award for 2012. The award is administrated by Human Rights Watch and given to writers who are subject to political persecution and human rights abuses. After being threatened by the authorities, Mesfin Negash fled Ethiopia in 2009 and today he continues his work for human rights in exile from Sweden.
The Dagestani human rights lawyer Sapiyat Magomedova was awarded the Swedish government’s Per Anger Prize during a ceremony in Gothenburg on 12 November 2012. In this interview she talks about her hope that this award will contribute to increased protection for her and other human rights defenders in the region and to raise awareness about the critical situation in the North Caucasus.
In May 2012, Vladimir Putin became President of Russia again. Since then, a series of laws that impede the work of human rights defenders have been adopted and in the North Caucasus the human rights violations continue. Civil Rights Defenders have gathered some of the most prominent experts on the North Caucasus to talk about how human rights are affected by Vladimir Putin’s return to Presidency.
The situation for citizens and human rights defenders in the North Caucasus continue to deteriorate; grave human rights violations turn everyday life into a nightmare. In November 2012, Civil Rights Defenders gathers about 20 of the key human rights defenders from the region to the North Caucasus Conference. During a few intensive days in Stockholm we develop strategies to improve their security and to increase the awareness among decision makers in order to create real change.
The islamophobic ideology, based on the fear that Europe will develop into Eurabia, inspired Anders Behring Breivik to move from thought to action. What have we learned from the terrible terrorist attacks on 22 July 2011, and what challenges lie ahead in the fight against extremism? Welcome to one hour of human rights!
This year’s Per Anger-prize winner, Sapiyat Magomedov, is a human rights lawyer from Dagestan. In a context where the perpetrators seldom or never are brought to justice, she represents cases where people have been raped, tortured or murdered. In an opinion piece, published in Swedish newspaper SvD, Civil Rights Defenders and the Living History Forum presents Sapiyat Magomedova.
The human rights lawyer Sapiyat Magomedova has been awarded the Swedish Government’s Per Anger Prize. In the violent Dagestan, she defends victims of grave human rights violations. She has taken on cases that many lawyers would reject due to security reasons. And she has won legal cases in a context where it is almost impossible to do so. For people in the region she has become a symbol of courage.
In the beginning of October 2012, Civil Rights Defenders launched an upgraded version of the web tool CAPTCHA – which can detect human empathy. The Captcha has become world news, with more than 300 published articles and thousands of tweets.
Ahead of Cambodia’s Government-Donor Coordination Committee meeting on 26 September, Civil Rights Defenders and seven other human rights groups sent a letter to Cambodia’s donors, including Sweden, urging them to make a coordinated and public condemnation of the government’s increasing human rights abuses.
This year Albania participated in Paralympics for the first time ever. But the obstacles that Albanians with disabilities must face are still high. Their human rights are violated on a daily basis and a person with disabilities is commonly regarded as a ‘misfortune’. Welcome to a seminar on September 26 with Blerta Çani Drenofci, Executive Director at Albanian Disability Rights Foundation.
On Sunday 23 September Parliamentary elections are taking place in Belarus. In this Op-Ed, published in Swedish svd.se, Civil Rights Defenders urges the EU to adhere to its principles and insist on greater respect for human rights in order to stay on track.
After the imprisonment of 15 human rights defenders in Cambodia in May 2012, a unique campaign: Free the 15, was sparked. Ee Sarom, from housing rights NGO Sahmakum Teang Tnaut, was one of several civil society leaders supporting the community’s mobilisation for the release of the activists. Listen to his story.
The diplomatic crisis that has evolved between Belarus and Sweden during the last couple of days will affect the Belarusian civil society: ”Regardless of what happens next, the Belarusian civil society will suffer”, says Robert Hårdh, Executive Director Civil Rights Defenders.
During Stockholm Pride we invited Anastasia Smirnova from our partner the Russian LGBT Network in St Petersburg. Anastasia Smirnova was interviewed in Swedish media about the negative development för lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender peoples rights in Russia and she also raised the topic in a seminar.
The European Court of Human Rights has rejected the lawsuit against Sweden that Civil Rights Defenders submitted along with the family of 22-year-old Daniel Franklert Murne. Daniel was shot dead by police in his parents’ home in Lindesberg in 2005. Civil Rights Defenders is considering the options for moving forward.
Between 30th September and 6th October a Pride festival will be organised in the Serbian capital Belgrade. Swedish Minister for EU-affairs Birgitta Ohlsson is one of the opening speakers. Her participation is an important gesture of solidarity, at a time when it is difficult or even impossible to organise Pride festivals in many parts of Europe.
The perception about the human rights situation in Ethiopia differs depending on if you ask the Government, the citizens, local human rights defenders or the International community. Welcome to a seminar on May 30 with the independent journalist Mesfin Negash, who was forced to go into exile because of his work.
After her meetings with human rights activists in Azerbaijan, Swedish ESC winner Loreen has decided to become a member of Civil Rights Defenders to further support the work for human rights.
A new law prohibiting ”propaganda” for homosexuality was recently passed in St Petersburg’s local parliament. Similar laws have already been passed in Ryazan, Arkhangelsk and Kostroma, and there is a ongoing discussion about introducing propaganda laws on a federal level. Listen to Anastasia Smirnova and Alexandra Semenova about how the laws came about and how they affect the work for human rights, on Friday May 25.
On her initiative, Loreen and Civil Rights Defenders will meet some of the brave people fighting for human rights in Azerbaijan on Monday, May 21. A reality differing substantially from the image the authorities wants to show of the country.
The International Ice Hockey Federation is currently holding its annual congress. We urge the Federation not to let Belarus’ ice hockey loving President Alexander Lukashenka arrange the Ice Hockey World Championship in Belarus in 2014, due to the unacceptable human rights situation in the country.
In March 2005, 22-year-old Daniel Franklert Murne was shot dead by police in his parents’ home in Lindesberg, Sweden. The subsequent police investigation was defective and, with reference to self-defense, no one was held responsible. Daniel’s parents and sister are now suing Sweden before the European Court with our assistance.
We have signed the joint statement on strengthening the protection of human rights in Europe. This initiative is a reaction to some of the proposed changes of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to reduce the case burden of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).
Civil Rights Defenders has since the fall of 2009 been active in the fundraising market. We are now looking for a fundraiser for our Stockholm office. The position requires, among other things, good communication skills in English and Swedish. Read more about the position (in swedish) here.
Percy Bratt, Chair of Civil Rights Defenders, will today announce at a press conference that yet another Habeas Corpus in the case of Dawit Isaak has been submitted to the High Court of Eritrea. “It is an important step forward that both the EU and Sweden support our initiative”, says Percy Bratt.
The lack of rule of law can lead to unforeseen consequences for a woman living in a repressive regime, as displayed in Jens Assur’s latest film Killing the Chickens to Scare the Monkeys. In order to highlight the International Women’s Day we will show the film at the National Historical Museum in Stockholm on March 8. A conversation about fair trials follows the film.
We welcome our new colleague Cecilia Tengroth, specialist in international law. With Cecilia on board, we will enhance our monitoring of human rights in Sweden. “Human rights can be violated, even in Sweden, and that is why it is so important to keep an eye on our decision-makers and increase people’s awareness about their rights.”
“Ales just did his job, and when human right activists in Belarus today do their job they will end up in prison” said Joanna Kurosz from Civil Rights Defenders when speaking during a manifestation in support of Ales Bialiatski, in Stockholm on January 31 2011.
Most of our seminars on current human rights issues are broadcasted live. View all our previous broadcasts on our Bambuser channel.
A year has passed since the Presidental election in Belarus and a wave of persecutions of human rights defenders, independent media actors and political opponents, has followed in its tracks. On the January 25, Anna Gerasimova, Director of the Belarusian Human Rights House in Vilnius, will visit us to talk about the current human rights situation in Belarus.
Civil Rights Defenders condemns the conviction of the Swedish journalist Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson. The terrorist legislation that was used during the trial was turned into a tool to prevent free speech in Ethiopia.
We are looking for someone who will work operationally with human rights issues in Russia and the North Caucasus. You will be responsible for managing and developing our long-term collaborations with human rights organisations in Russia.
Gerald Nagler, founder of the Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights, was presented the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art by the Republic of Austria on October 18.
This year, the Swedish Government and the Living History Forum have awarded their prize in memory of Per Anger to Iranian human rights campaigner Narges Mohammadi. This is in recognition of her fight for human rights and women’s freedom, with personal courage and despite repeated serious infringements of her freedom.
On September 23 it was ten years since the Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak was arrested in Eritrea. Today we don’t even know if he is alive. -We have to intensify the diplomatic efforts, , said Percy Bratt during a manifestation.
On September 13 Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat is visiting Sweden. Civil Rights Defenders urges the Swedish Government to bring up the proposed Law against discrimination to discussion.
We welcome the news that Ahmed Agiza has been released from Egyptian prison after 10 years, and hope that Sweden will take its responsibility and offer both Agiza and Mohammed Alzery full redress for the violations that the two men have suffered.
For the third time Civil Rights Defenders will, at the end of 2011, organise a conference for human rights defenders in the North Caucasus in Stockholm. With the purpose of organising the conference we will employ a Project Coordinator for a period of 5 – 6 months, starting from the end of August 2011.
Civil Rights Defenders is concerned about the threats against Olga Sadovskaya at the Committee Against Torture in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In a letter sent to Swedish and European policymakers we ask them to raise the threats against human rights defenders in all discussions with Russia.
Civil Rights Defenders and Human Rights Watch call on Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to investigate the deportation of Keymir Berdiyev to Turkmenistan. In a joint letter they urge Sweden to allow him return for his asylum application to be reconsidered.
Russia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Stockholm on April 27. We urge Sweden’s Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt to discuss with him the difficult situation that human rights defenders in Russia are facing. During the 2009 EU summit Reinfeldt raised this issue with President Medvedev and there is cause for a follow-up.
Civil Rights Defenders is positive toward the idea of establishing a National Human Rights Commission. But the way the Commission is modelled, in the current proposal, it will not contribute to a more effective protection of human rights.
Our photo exhibition “Our Rights” will be shown during the Human Rights Forum in Örebro. The exhibition is made in collaboration with the photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin and the aim is to increase the awareness of the importance of Human Rights. -In Sweden, we are good at talking about human rights and to promote them [...]
Civil Rights Defenders will participate in Uppsala Pride; with an info table and arranging a seminar. Information about the seminar: Pride and Prejudice – why is Pride needed? Sara Laginder, intern at Civil Rights Defenders, invites participants to a discussion; What can we do and how can we work for equal rights of all citizens? [...]
Roma in Sweden have been subjected to gross violations of human rights, as in many other parts of the world. The group has been persecuted and discriminated. Not long ago Roma women were subjected to forced sterilizations. In February 2007 the Delegation for Roma Issues was established by the government in order to promote the [...]
Sweden and other EU countries are deporting Roma to Kosovo in full knowledge that these people face abject poverty and systematic discrimination. We are calling for an immediate halt to the deportation and we urge the government to make every effort to get other EU Member States to follow suit.
Robert Hårdh, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders, has been invited to comment on the report made by Professor Dennis Töllborg on how the Swedish police conduct internal investigations. The seminar is open to the public; please notify Dennis Töllborg (dennis.toellborg@gri.gu.se) or Anders Månsson (anders.mansson@polisen.se) if you are coming. Date: Thursday 9th of September Time: [...]
Stockholm Pride was organised July 26 – August 1. The event serves as an important opportunity to remind about the right to life, personal security, and protection against discrimination of all people.
The Swedish Press Ombudsman, Yrsa Stenius, has been criticized and questioned during the last couple of months, among other for recommending the Swedish Press Council to criticize the daily Expressen for an article about Jan Guillou being in contact with KGB in the -60:s and -70:s. Expressen responded by boycotting the Press Ombudsman, and several [...]
Civil Rights Defenders is one of the organisers of the Human Rights Forum, Scandinavia’s largest forum for human rights. During this years event we will participate with the exhibition Our Rights and arrange several seminars on different topics. Civil Rights Defenders program for Human Rights Forum: Monday November 16 11.00-11.30: Film “Missing Lives: Disappearance and [...]
During the last few years a number of new laws have been adopted in Sweden that are troublesome from a Human Rights perspective. Read Civil Rights Defenders’ UPR-submission here.
Crystal Night and the fall of the Berlin Wall. November 9 has been a turning point in European history. Civil Rights Defenders participate in an event on the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, organised by Stockholms Stadsteater, in collaboration with the Swedish EU Presidency and the Foundation Natur & Kultur.
Public meeting with a panel discussion on terrorism legislation and human rights. Participants: Thomas Olsson, Lawyer, has represented members of al-Barakaat among other Laue Traberg Smidt, Danish Lawyer, has represented members of al-Aqsa among other Anna Wigenmark, Lawyer, Civil Rights Defenders Madelaine Seidlitz, Lawyer, Amnesty Abdirisak Aden, Gösta Hultén, Journalist, Charta 2008 Date: Saturday November [...]
The need for urgent aid in connection with natural disasters or armed conflicts will most probably increase in times of climate change and financial crises. At the same, the Swedish government has expressed a wish to prioritize long-term support for democratization and human rights. How will these two needs be combined and what are the [...]
Human rights activist Brahim Dahane from Western Sahara is the winner of the Per Anger Prize 2009, in recognition of having demonstrated unwavering personal courage, and risked his life in the struggle for human rights. Brahim Dahane is currently incarcerated.
The Swedish Parliament has adopted the much discussed and generally criticised FRA Act. However, the question is whether there is anyone who entirely understands what it is they have decided. The proposal, which first saw the light of day in 2006 has been revised several times, postponed, investigated further, adopted and revised again. Today’s decision [...]
Together with the Swedish photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin we have made a photo exhibition to show our work for human rights in a contemporary context. The exhibition opens September 11 at 13.00 on the Central Station in Stockholm and will be shown September 11-13. Place: Entrance Hall at Stockholm Central Station
The world was shocked by the events of September 11 2001. It shook our values and respect for fundamental human rights was in many cases set aside. With this background Civil Rights Defenders asked photographer Elisabeth Ohlson Wallin to interpret human rights in a contemporary context. The result is a collection of ten pictures that [...]
(Updated in September 2009) It is easy to assert that Sweden does not have problems with serious offences against human rights as compared to other countries, but this is of little comfort to the individual whose rights are being violated. One of Civil Rights Defenders’ main tasks is to survey and report on the state [...]
5 900 complaints about hate crimes were made in Sweden last year. Seven out of ten complaints were hate crimes with racist motives, says the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (BRÅ) in their report for 2008. The number of complaints are according to BRÅ’s report roughly the same as in 2007. Hate crimes with [...]
Daniel Poohl, editor in chief at the magazine Expo, talks about the growth of right wing extremist party Sverigedemokraterna. During the last couple of years the right wing groups have worked on transforming on the surface, adapting their message in order to become more accepted among the general public. Step by step they have become [...]
Minoo Jalali, a lawyer born in Iran and living in Great Britain, claims that female and male political refugees are not treated the same in Great Britain. Maria Bexelius teaches in the right of asylum on Teologiska högskolan in Stockholm and has written the books “Right of Asylum, gender and politics” (2008) and “Women on [...]
Sofia Lindow, Master of Laws, talks about the conditions in Swedish custody, which has been criticized by the UN Committee against torture and the Committee against Torture of the European Council, among other. Lindow presents the criticizm of the committees and discusses what effect a deprivation of liberty can have on the mental health of [...]
In an article in the evening newspaper, Aftonbladet, Swedish Helsinki Committee urges Sweden to offer asylum to Guantanamo prisoners. On the 11th December, Portugal’s foreign minister said that his country was ready to receive Guantanamo prisoners who cannot return to their own countries, and urged other countries to do likewise. Aftonbladet debatt 17 december 2008: [...]
On November 27th Sweden’s chairmanship of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers comes to an end. On the same day, the Council is expected to approve a convention concerning access to public documents.
Chancellor of Justice Göran Lambertz has ruled that Sweden must pay SEK 3 million in compensation to Ahmed Agiza who was expelled from Sweden on 18 December 2001. The decision follows conciliation talks between the Chancellor and the Swedish Helsinki Committee, which was representing Agiza.
If the so called FRA-law passes, it will result in the introduction of extensive surveillance which will not be in reasonable proportion to its purpose and the privacy protection that, according to international law, everyone is entitled to.
The society’s strongest weapon against hate speech is the criminalisation of incitement to racial hatred, which limits the freedom of expression by prohibiting threatening and disdaining comments. This is a report by Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee) about national and international legislation and practice in cases of incitement to racial hatred (in Swedish). [...]
Alternative report to “Comments by the Government of Sweden on the Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee”. The report is prepared by Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights) and the Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights. Download the report.
Regarding Sweden’s fourth periodic report, April 2002. Participating organisations: Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee), Save the Children Sweden, Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights, Swedish Red Cross and the Swedish Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Download the report.
With respect to Sweden’s commitments under the International Convenant on civil and political rights. The report is prepared by the Swedish NGO Foundation for Human Rights and Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights). Download the report.
The EU meeting in Gothenburg in 2001 attracted a huge media attention. What was meant to be peaceful demonstrations turned into fierce riots with extensive destruction of personal property and attacks towards the police. There were also examples of police acting surprisingly harsh. Civil Rights Defenders (former Swedish Helsinki Committee) closely followed the legal consequences [...]
In the fight against crime it is probably not possible to completely avoid the use of secret surveillance, but it is an absolute necessity to provide reliable guarantees of the citizens’ legal rights. Civil Rights Defenders’ (formerly the Swedish Helsinki Committee) report (publ. 2000) shows that the present Swedish legislation lacks such guarantees. (in Swedish) [...]
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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