TV4 Nyheterna has obtained internal documents from the coordination office, part of the government office, revealing that the Sweden Democrats want to shut down the newly established state authority, the Institute for Human Rights. This authority is responsible for reviewing how human rights are followed in Sweden and coming up with proposals for measures to the government. However, according to the documents seen by TV4, SD considers the authority “redundant.” The party also wants to phase out contributions to the work against racism and discrimination. Officials at the ministry have responded that the proposals should be rejected, as they would weaken Sweden’s ability to act in matters of human rights in foreign policy.
TV4 Nyheterna has obtained internal documents from the coordination office, part of the government office. In the documents, it appears that the Sweden Democrats want to shut down the Institute for Human Rights.
The institute is a state authority that was established in January 2022. Its task is to review how human rights are followed in Sweden and to come up with proposals for measures to the government.
But according to the documents TV4 has seen, SD thinks that the authority is “redundant”.
– That a government’s own authority must survey basic human rights. This is a strange order. That’s not how you usually work with these issues, says Ludvig Aspling.
“Not quite right”
The party also wants to phase out contributions to the work against racism and discrimination. Ludvig Aspling says that, among other things, it has to do with the fact that part of the money goes to AFB (The Workers’ Education Union), which has close connections to the Social Democrats.
– These are worthy causes, but when you look at the grant, how this money is used, you see quite quickly that it is not really going the right way, says Ludvig Aspling.
In a response to TV4, officials at the ministry write that the proposals should be rejected and that, among other things, it “would weaken Sweden’s ability to act in matters of human rights in foreign policy”.
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