Human Rights Defenders - SweFOR - Movimiento Sueco por la Reconciliación

September 18, 2025

Perpetrator in the murder of Father Marcelo Perez Perez convicted

On 6 August, a judge in the Federal Criminal Justice Court in the Mexican state of Chiapas handed out a 20-year prison sentence against Edgar “M” for the aggravated homicide of human rights defender Marcelo Pérez Pérez. The investigations were carried out by the Office of the Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), through the […]

June 10, 2022

Militarization and rights of indigenous peoples in Chiapas

The militarization of indigenous territories is one of the main driving factors in conflicts, and often leads to the displacement of indigenous people or to situations very close to a state of war that endanger people’s lives, according to The United Nations Working Group about Indigenous People. This development can be observed in Chiapas, Mexico.

“They don´t consider our rights as indigenous people, they don´t ask if we want the National Guard. The municipal, state and federal governments made the decision to place the National Guard in our municipality.” Member of the Community Government of Chilón The municipality of Chilón in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, is populated by almost […]

February 24, 2022

Yonny Ronay, a student sentenced to 32 years in prison for a crime he did not commit

According to the lawyers of the Human Rights Center Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Frayba), the trial against Yonny presents a series of irregularities, such as forgery of signatures, attribution of crimes unrelated to the accused and fabrication of testimonies by the prosecutor’s office in Chiapas, Mexico. Frayba confirms that Yonny’s case is just one […]

October 23, 2021

SweFOR Guatemala: Rejection of Violence

In the light of the misinformation circulating about our work and presence in Guatemala in the context of the march that took place in Guatemala City on the 12th of October, SweFOR as a nonviolent organisation would like to stress our rejection of all forms of violence and the acts of violence that took place during the march.

The Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR) is a Swedish nonviolent organization working for peace, justice, a world without violence and a sustainable way of life. Within the framework of our Peace Service programme, SweFOR accompanies human rights defenders in Guatemala, Colombia and Mexico to provide them with protection and amplify their space of action. The […]

October 15, 2021

SweFOR’s mandate in Guatemala: nonviolent work and presence – a clarification

The Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR) is a Swedish nonviolent organization working for peace, justice, a world without violence and a sustainable way of life. It is an ecumenical organisation established in 1919 and a member of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), which has consultative status with the UN. Through our Peace Service Program, […]