Hanna Gerdes Unanimously Re-elected Chair of Civil Rights Defenders Board, Team Maintains Continuity

Civil Rights Defenders held its Annual General Meeting in Stockholm on Tuesday, 26 May, where Hanna Gerdes was unanimously re-elected as Chair of the organisation’s Board. The new term extends Gerdes’s leadership through 2028 and preserves the board’s strong composition from the previous year, with several members re-elected to continue their service.

Hanna Gerdes has served as Chair since 2022 and at the meeting reflected on the challenging environment in which the organisation operates. “The past four years have been a turbulent period when overseeing an organisation of this size working for human rights. Democracy is backsliding in many parts of the world, and the issues we address face increasingly strong resistance. At the same time, our work has perhaps never felt more important, and I am proud of the results we have achieved through difficult yet strategically important and sound decisions,” says Hanna Gerdes, adding:

“Since 2022, we have worked each year with around 300 human rights organisations in approximately 50 countries. Through our Emergency Fund, we have supported 7,563 human rights defenders in over 60 countries, ensuring continued support for people who have carried on their work despite the military coup in Burma, repression in Georgia, and persecution in Cuba. In Sweden, we have brought together more than 60,000 people in our network to strengthen democracy. We have also significantly increased our visibility and awareness of our organisation, strengthened our finances, and increased our equity, creating greater stability and room for action in a time of rapid change. Ultimately, this is about ensuring that we can defend human rights in the long term – even when it is uncomfortable or politically costly.”

In addition to Gerdes’s re-election, the Annual General Meeting confirmed the re-appointment of board members Caroline Thunved, Noura Berrouba, Théo Jaekel and Mårten Lundberg for two-year terms. Civil Rights Defenders’ Board comprises eight voluntary members in total. The full board roster and terms as recorded at the meeting are: Hanna Gerdes, Chair (until 2028); Noura Berrouba, Member (until 2028); Théo Jaekel, Member (until 2028); Caroline Thunved, Member (until 2028); Mårten Lundberg, Member (until 2028); Camilla Nagler, Member (until 2027); Lena Svensson, Member (until 2027); and Ulla Andrén, Member (until 2027). The organisation emphasised that board service is entirely voluntary and that no board member receives remuneration.

The meeting also brought a change to the Nomination Committee. Negin Tagavi was elected as a new member, joining Marcela Mieres Eneroth, Carin Norberg and Catharina Mannerfelt, who were re-elected to continue serving. Seher Yilmaz stepped down from the committee at the Annual General Meeting. Marcela Mieres Eneroth serves as Chair of the Nomination Committee.

Alongside governance matters, Civil Rights Defenders used the AGM to highlight recent operational work and recognitions. The organisation noted ongoing collaboration with around 300 partner human rights organisations annually across approximately 50 countries and reiterated figures from its Emergency Fund, which it said supported 7,563 human rights defenders in more than 60 countries. The statement named specific contexts where support continued despite repression and upheaval, including the military coup in Burma, political pressure in Georgia, and persecution in Cuba, and highlighted mobilisation in Sweden by more than 60,000 people in the organisation’s network.

The meeting also referenced the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award 2026, naming the news outlets Netgazeti and La Hora de Cuba in connection with the accolade. Civil Rights Defenders framed the recognition within its broader focus on protecting human rights and independent media in difficult and repressive environments.

By maintaining continuity on its board, refreshing its Nomination Committee and underscoring recent operational reach, Civil Rights Defenders signals an intent to sustain and expand its work defending human rights amid an increasingly hostile global context for democracy and civil society. The organisation said these governance outcomes and the emergency support delivered in recent years are intended to ensure long-term resilience and capacity to protect human rights defenders even when such work is politically costly.