Civil Rights Defenders
Sofia Walan serves as the Executive Director at Civil Rights Defenders since May 2025, bringing a wealth of experience from previous leadership roles, including Chef Regionenheten at BRIS and Regionchef at Studieförbundet Bilda, where Sofia managed operations for a large team and numerous volunteers. Earlier positions include General Secretary at Kristna Fredsrörelsen, overseeing aid operations in multiple countries, and a communicator and project leader at Sveriges kristna råd, focusing on budget and strategic communications. Sofia's educational background includes a candidate's degree in Political Science from Linnaeus University, coupled with diverse leadership and management training in the nonprofit sector.
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Civil Rights Defenders
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Civil Rights Defenders is an international human rights organisation, founded in 1982 in Stockholm, Sweden. We defend people’s civil and political rights and empower human rights defenders in Sweden and globally. All countries need a strong civil society that scrutinizes those in power and presses for positive development. That is why we combine human rights work with efforts to empower local human rights defenders. Together with local partners we monitor the authorities and demand accountability when they violate human rights in law or practice. We take legal action against states, and inform and lobby decision makers to effect change and seek justice. Local human rights defenders are at the centre of all our work. We draw attention to their situation, and seek to support them with training, resources or expertise to protect the space in which they act and strengthen their work. Civil Rights Defenders was founded as a part of the Helsinki movement, under the name Swedish Helsinki Committee for Human Rights. In 2009, we decided to change our name into one that better reflects our work and objectives today.