The following is based on a communication written by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders and other UN experts to the Government of Sweden on 25 February 2026. The communication remained confidential for 60 days before being made public, giving the Government time to reply. A response was received on 24 April 2026.
This is a shorter version of the communication.
BACKGROUND
Topic: the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders in Sweden in recent years.
ALLEGATIONS
The situation of human rights defenders in Sweden has reportedly deteriorated in the past few years. In a context where security policies have been increasingly prioritized over human rights, civil society does not receive as much support as before and the civic space is shrinking.
Threats and hateful comments have intensified, in particular against women, ethnic and religious minorities and youth organizations. Those taking part in acts of civil disobedience or working on environmental issues have also been the target of death threats. Human rights defenders are subjected to threats and attacks mostly on social media or through private messages.
Human rights defenders have at times been silenced for their advocacy work or for expressing factual criticism. In some instances, engaging in human rights activities has negatively impacted people’s private lives and careers.
The increasing administrative burdens and bureaucratic demands imposed on civil society organizations, along with a decrease in funding for those working on human rights, constitute further obstacles to the creation of a conducive environment for human rights defenders and their work.
Journalists
Journalists experienced restrictions on their right to freedom of expression and have been silenced, especially when reporting on human rights issues and topics related to the atrocities committed in Gaza. Some of those who attempted to write about this subject were reportedly stopped, or their publications were postponed under false pretexts. In a few cases, they were perceived as being “radical”. This situation increased fear of speaking out amongst journalists and led some of them to censor themselves or even resign.
Climate issues and the situation of activists and human rights defender engaging in civil disobedience protests attract wide media attention, and several journalists have been covering these issues. However, they are often facing hate, threats and violence, and some of them have even been arrested while reporting on climate protests.
It has reportedly been challenging also to publish stories involving the forest industry and the impact of their action on the environment and Sámi indigenous peoples.
In some cases, those who tried to report on the silencing of journalists and the overall restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of the media in Sweden were reportedly not allowed to look into this and publish their stories.
Student activists for Palestine
Across Sweden there have been many activists campaigning on the behalf of the Palestinian people, including students, staff and academics working at Stockholm University. Since November 2023, every Monday, they have organized and taken part in walkouts and, since October 2024, walk-ins at the university as a form of peaceful demonstrations. While at the beginning the walk-ins were allowed, students reported some cases in which police disrupted their activities using violence, including by grabbing and pushing them. Kettling tactics have also reportedly been used, and the entrances of the university have been blocked by policemen through 2025, especially during the spring semester where the police presence increased greatly.
Some students that led and took part in these protests have been arbitrarily detained, reportedly interrogated in police cars, and allegedly intimidated that they could no longer participate in the walk-ins. Student protesters using keffiyeh or other Palestinian symbols, as well as foreign students, have been among the ones that received a harsher treatment.
Minority rights defenders
The situation of minorities and those defending their rights is rapidly deteriorating in Sweden. There has been a rise in negative narratives around ethnic minorities and racist rhetorics, including in the media and by government representatives. This also had a negative impact on human rights defenders working on the protection and promotion of minority rights.
The increasingly limited funding allocated to human rights work disproportionately affect representatives of marginalized groups, hindering their advocacy work on minority rights. Reportedly, despite already being low, government grants to minority organizations have been further reduced over the past years. In addition, the involvement of minority groups in participation processes is decreasing, and their perspective is not listened to.
Representatives of the Tornedalian, Kvens, and Lantalaiset ethnic minority and defenders of their rights are reportedly excluded from decision-making processes, including regarding issues affecting them, and rendered invisible in society. They often lack support from the general public, which, coupled with a sense of being ignored, neglected and marginalised, makes it difficult for them to promote their rights and perpetuate their culture and tradition. The inadequate human and financial resources they have at their disposal for their advocacy work further complicate their situation. As they are faced with heavy workload, the poor capacity of Tornedalian minority organizations risks affecting the mental health and wellbeing of their representatives.
Defenders of the rights of Roma people
Roma human rights defenders are reportedly in a precarious situation. Stigmatisation of people of Roma ethnicity by the media and political figures is widespread, with negative narratives particularly affecting Roma women human rights defenders and organizations. They are often the target of racist or misogynist remarks, and their advocacy is sometimes perceived as a “threat” rather than a valuable contribution. In addition, their credibility is questioned, their motives seen with suspicion and their expertise not taken into account, which often discourages Roma women from engaging in advocacy and participating to public life.
Defenders of the rights of religious minorities
Muslim and Jewish organizations have been particularly affected by the increase in hate speech and threats against human rights defenders. Those advocating for non-discrimination are labelled as “extremists”. Muslim organizations are often portrayed as “non-democratic”, “terrorist” and “Islamist”, which contributed to undermining their legitimacy and credibility in the eyes of the general public.
Muslim organizations also faced restrictions on their right to freedom of association. For example, in some cases, they reportedly lost public funding, which forced them to stop their activities or shut down.
Defenders of the rights of persons with disabilities
Limitations to the right to participate in public affairs and to the right to freedom of expression of persons with disabilities and defenders of their rights have been reported. Representatives of local associations, for example, sometimes refrain from criticizing the authorities because they fear that they or their relatives might lose access to financial assistance or support services. Restricted access to these services can result in obstacles to their public participation and to the ability to contribute to decision-making processes on matters that affect them.
LGBTI+ rights defenders
Threats, harassment, and violence against LGBTI+ people have reportedly increased compared to previous years, and advocating for LGBTI+ rights is more difficult today than before. This reflects the rise in anti-gender movements, which makes it harder for human rights defenders working on LGBTI+ issues to organize and do their work. They are targeted mostly on social media or by email, and for security reasons they sometimes need to hold their events in hidden locations.
Environmental rights defenders
Environmental rights defenders and climate activists that engage in protests and acts of civil disobedience have been facing repression. Some of them have reportedly been pressured into leaving their jobs, their activism has been questioned in job interviews, or they have faced negative consequences in the workplace because of their human rights activism.
In addition, politicians tried to undermine the role and activities of climate defenders, including by stating that “terrorist laws” should be used against them and portraying them as a “threat to democracy and democratic principles”. They are often seen as “potential terrorists” or “security risks” and labelled as “criminals” or “saboteurs”. Hateful rhetoric and threats are also prevalent. Some political figures and segments of society are increasingly hostile to climate activism.
Environmental rights defenders have also faced restrictions to their right to freedom of peaceful assembly. Participating in civil disobedience protests increasingly exposes them to the risk of prosecution. Activists have reportedly been prosecuted for severe offences, such as ‘sabotage’ for acts that previously would have been prosecuted only as misdemeanours. While some protesters have been acquitted, others have been convicted and sentenced. Even if sentences are later overturned, the criminalization of environmental rights defenders puts them under extreme pressure and, if used as a threat, criminal sanctions risk having a chilling effect on civil society and their peaceful activism.
CONCERNS
In the communication, we express serious concern about the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders in Sweden. In particular, we are concerned about the reported threats, hate speech, stigmatization and criminalization of human rights defenders, as well as the restrictions to their rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly and association. Human rights defenders in Sweden, including journalists reporting on human rights issues, appear to be primarily targeted as a result of their human rights work, with those working the rights of minority groups, environmental issues, the rights of LGBTI+ people and of persons with disabilities, as well as those advocating for the rights of Palestinian people, being particularly exposed to risks.
We urge your the Government to undertake measures to counter these trends and tackle the ongoing deterioration of the situation of human rights defenders in Sweden, ensuring that they can operate in a safe and enabling environment without fear of reprisals or retaliation.
