Sweden

Sweden has come a long way regarding respect for human rights, but serious shortcomings still exist. The country has gained a reputation for being a vocal defender of human rights internationally but fails to address serious human rights violations at home.

We works to combat discrimination, racism, and hate crimes, as well as strengthen the indigenous Sámi people’s rights. Through legal processes, advocacy efforts, and raising the issues at a political level, we hold those in power to account. 

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News from Sweden

Yttrande över betänkandet straffbarhetsåldern (SOU 2025:11)

  • Sweden
  • 13 May 2025

Sammanfattning Civil Rights Defenders har ombetts lämna synpunkter på rubricerat betänkande. Civil R…

Lack of protection against hate crimes, discrimination, and for indigenous rights – our shadow report to the UN

  • News, Sweden
  • 8 November 2024

In the spring of 2025, the UN will review how Sweden respects human rights. Ahead of the review by t…

Nordic Rule of Law Forum 2024

  • Sweden
  • 4 October 2024

6 DECEMBER | STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN | INVITATION ONLY 2025 will mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption…
Children at a refugee camp.

How Sweden should carry out the EU Migration Pact

  • Europe, News, Sweden
  • 20 June 2024

On May 14, the EU Council gave the green light to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact, which the Swedis…
More news from Sweden

Using the law as a tool to defend human rights

We use the law as a tool to advance civil and political rights in Sweden. By challenging outdated legal structures and winning historic cases, we hold authorities, politicians, and decision-makers accountable. We provide education and pursue legal cases when people’s rights have been violated. The principles of the rule of law and ensuring legal certainty is at the heart of all that we do.

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Facing hate in Sweden

The number of hate crimes reported in Sweden remains high, as does the number of those that go unreported. Despite the high number of cases, only a few lead to prosecution or conviction. What counts as a hate crime, and how does it affect Sweden’s national minority groups?

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Migration and a fair path to safety

Every day, inhumane human rights violations occur at Europe’s borders. We work to ensure fair legal protection for all people on the move and to strengthen the rights and freedoms of migrants and asylum seekers in Sweden and across Europe.

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Sami rights

Civil Rights Defenders collaborates with Sámi civil society to promote Sámi rights and enhance respect for Indigenous peoples’ rights. This is a major focus of our work, as advancing these rights requires both political and legal reforms. While Sweden often sees itself as a global standard-bearer for human rights, it simultaneously fails to respect its own Indigenous people.

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Discrimination and legal advice

In Sweden, we tackle discrimination in multiple ways. We take cases to court when people have faced discrimination and work to combat discriminatory ethnic profiling.

We also operate as an anti-discrimination bureau, offering free individual legal advice to anyone who has experienced discrimination.

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Core international crimes

Grave violations of human rights, such as genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, are committed all over the world. The perpetrators rarely face prosecution and are often able to continue to commit crimes with impunity. Through legal means, we work to keep dictators awake at night and to hold them accountable in order to achieve justice for their victims.

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Locked up but not without rights

Civil Rights Defenders monitors the human rights situation in Sweden’s locked institutions, such as jails, prisons, and custody or compulsory treatment institutions. We are involved in a number of legal cases in which our position is that human rights violations have taken place.

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Nordic Rule of Law Forum

The Nordic Rule of Law Forum is an annual event in Stockholm aimed at strengthening the rule of law and human rights in Europe. It brings together lawyers, judges, civil society actors, and decision-makers. We also arrange the regional Rule of Law Forum in Western Balkan.

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The right to a fair trial

Civil Rights Defenders conducts advocacy aimed at authorities, politicians, and other decision makers to ensure that the right to a fair trial is respected. We offer training and litigate when people’s rights have been violated.

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Historic victory in the Court of Appeal

In 2017, the Swedish Court of Appeals ruled that a police registry of Roma people, revealed in 2013, was illegal and that the Swedish State is guilty of ethnic discrimination and ordered payment of historic damages. The ruling was a major victory for Civil Rights Defenders and for the approximately 4,700 Roma who had been included in the registry.

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Press and media

Are you a journalist and want to book an interview with one of our experts on the situation for human rights in the country or interview human rights defenders from Sweden?

For more information and inquiries, please contact us here:
+46 (0)76 576 27 62 / press@crd.org

Find our pressroom here

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