ÅRET SOM GÅTT KAPITEL ANNUAL REPORT 18 The dramatic deterioration of the human rights situation, as well as the economic and political crisis in Venezuela, has led to millions of Venezuelans fleeing the country. The border bridge Puente Internacional Simón Bolívar, between Colombia and Venezuela. 1 - TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword .......................................................... 3 Civil Rights Defenders 2018 – The Year in Review ............................................ 5 Civil Rights Defenders on Four Continents ................ 6 Sweden ......................................................... 6 Latin America .................................................. 7 Eurasia ......................................................... 7 Europe .......................................................... 8 Asia .............................................................. 9 Africa ........................................................... 9 Training, Digital Security, and Innovation ................ 10 Defenders’ Days and Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award ................................. 11 Increased Focus on Fundraising ........................... 12 Annual Report 2018 Management Report ......................................... 13 Income statement ............................................. 19 Balance sheet .................................................. 20 Changes in Equity ............................................. 21 Cash Flow Analysis – Indirect Method ................... 21 Notes ............................................................. 22 Audit Report .................................................... 27 Directors and Offices at the End of 2018 ................ 29 Board ............................................................. 30 Printed by AMO print, Stockholm 2019 Copyright © 2019 Civil Rights Defenders Translation: Alice E. Olsson Graphic design: Petra Handin/Poppi Design Photo: David Lagerlöf pp. 3, 11. Sara Ajnnak p. 4. Memorial p. 7. Kachin Youth Movement p. 9. Sv FF p. 12. Civil Rights Defenders front cover, p. 10. 2 - FOREWORD Every day, human rights defenders all over the world are fighting for our human rights. They aren’t doing it alone. Thanks to your support, together we can be part of the struggle for a fairer world. Civil Rights Defenders’ work has never been more defenders. We conduct training and organise one of the important than now. Repressive regimes are increasingly world’s largest human rights conferences, Defenders’ using brutal methods to quell human rights defenders’ Days, which gathered more than 200 human rights fight for the civil and political rights that belong to defenders from all over the world in 2018. For the par- us all. Whether by banning individual organisations, ticipants, the opportunity to meet other human rights imprisoning representatives, destroying assembly halls defenders and exchange experiences is very valuable and and offices, or persecuting sympathisers, the resistance energises them for a long time. We are inspired by each against human rights stops at nothing. other’s courage and strength. In this struggle, Civil Rights Defenders stands strong. Courage and power also characterise the winner Our organisation is expanding, our collaborations grows of the 2018 Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award, stronger, we have new methods for securing evidence of Murat Çelikkan. He received the award for his fight abuse, and more participants in our security programme for human rights and freedom of the press in Turkey. the Natalia Project. When we help local human rights Through his commitment, which has laid the founda- defenders in their fight for human rights, we are taking tion for several prominent human rights organisations, further steps toward our vision of a world of democratic Murat Çelikkan is a symbol of justice and a role model societies in which we all enjoy civil and political rights. for other human rights defenders. As for many of our partners, Civil Rights Defenders’ This year, we also launched our digital database, work faces resistance. We are affected by states who seek Defenders’ Database – a powerful tool for collecting, to increase control. Through repressive laws, bureau- reporting, and storing important evidence of human cratic rule and at times direct attacks on human rights rights violations. By uploading files, reports, and defenders and the premises of associations, the space for evidence, we facilitate the work of human rights civil society and its efforts is shrinking. The ability to defenders and counteract those states that would prefer act in the open is curtailed or made impossible and our to see this evidence destroyed. human rights defenders are forced to operate under the Without your support, our fight for human rights radar, often at their own peril, risking the lives of the and freedoms would not have been possible. Together, close ones. Increasing, and with our help, our partners we have created forums for knowledge, secured access together with their families seek refuge in safe places in to evidence, shone a spotlight on human rights role order to continue their important work. models, and stood up to repressive states. Our work has With such strong resistance, it is easy to feel resigna- never been more important than now tion but with a common effort, we are able to strengthen the resilience of civil society. We are proud of the Anders L. Pettersson work that we do to help and support our human rights Executive Director 3 ÅRET SOM GÅTT The monument and memorial at Nása Mountain. Mining poses a threat to reindeer herding and other aspects of Sámi culture at Nása Mountain. International law requires the state to address equal terms of negotiation for indigenous peoples and companies or the state itself. 4 CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS 2018 –THE YEAR IN REVIEW Civil Rights Defenders is an international human rights us extensive regional expertise. Our presence in the organisation that is politically and religiously inde- field means that we can support local human rights pendent. The organisation defends people’s civil and defenders through training and capacity development, political rights and empowers human rights defenders and engage in advocacy work with them. Thanks to at risk. Civil Rights Defenders operates in Sweden the organisation’s extensive network, human rights and globally, in the countries where respect for human defenders are able to share their experiences and rights is at its weakest. We engage in advocacy activities learn from each other. Through op-eds, reports, and and legal processes, and provide information on the seminars, we are putting the current situation on the situation with regard to human rights globally. public agenda, as well as the political. During 2018, Civil Rights Defenders has continued As an organisation, in the past year we have taken its work to support human rights defenders in Latin strategic steps toward an increased local presence and America, Asia, Africa, Eurasia, and Europe. In all of strengthened our internal structure and work processes. these regions, we maintain a long-term perspective in In this way, we have reinforced our position as a global our work and a presence on-site. We work with more human rights organisation that contributes to greater than 200 human rights organisations, which gives respect for human rights the world over. 200Civil Rights Defenders collaborates with more than 127people from 18 countries received support 200 local human rights organisations globally. through Civil Rights Defenders’ Emergency Fund. 300In 2018, nearly 300 human rights defenders received 165By the end of 2018, 165 participants were part of the training in areas such as security through Civil Rights Natalia Project – the world’s first alarm and position- Defenders’ Mobile Training Center. ing system for human rights defenders at risk. 5 CIVIL RIGHTS DEFENDERS ON FOUR CONTINENTS SWEDEN has led politicians, opinion makers, minority groups, and others to feel threatened. Civil Rights Defenders In Sweden, Civil Rights Defenders works with issues has worked to ensure that the rhetoric that neo-Nazi such as hate crime, discrimination, and minority organisations are directing at vulnerable groups is rights. We also monitor respect for human rights in prosecuted as hate speech. In 2017, Civil Rights the country’s closed institutions. In 2018, we focused Defenders reported a number of prominent leaders on the rights of people who experience psychosocial within the Nordic Resistance Movement (NMR) to the disabilities. We have worked to ensure that the police police for their actions during the demonstrations in has adequate training to manage and respond to Gothenburg. During the autumn of 2018, this resulted people with psychosocial disabilities, without the use of in an indictment against Nazi representatives. unnecessary violence. Among other things, we launched During the second half of 2018, we focused on a handbook on patients’ rights in compulsory forensic Sámi rights. Together with Sámi representatives, we and psychiatric care. The handbook is meant to be have worked to shape public opinion and engaged in used by institutions, by individuals who are in contact advocacy efforts to increase the respect for their rights with psychiatric care, as well as by patients and their as an indigenous people. relatives. We have also shone a spotlight on the controversial With concern, we have seen a societal development court order that allows Vellinge municipality to ban in which