Press Release
Report
January 2025
How to Enhance Swedish Advocacy Mechanisms for Citizens Arbitrarily Detained or Missing Abroad

This report developed out of a seminar session held in the Swedish Riksdag on September 18, 2024, as part of the Raoul Wallenberg International Roundtable.
The full report is available here:
January 17th marks the 80th anniversary of Raoul G. Wallenberg’s disappearance in the Soviet Union. For decades, his family, especially his parents Maj and Fredrik von Dardel, and his siblings, Nina Lagergren and Dr. Guy von Dardel, led an unrelenting fight to rescue him or to determine the full circumstances of his fate.


In April 2023, the Swedish Ambassador to Israel, Eric Ullenhag, took the extraordinary step to formally apologize to Raoul Wallenberg’s family “for the Swedish government abandoning him and leaving his family far too alone and without the support they deserved.”
Unfortunately, the families of Swedish citizens arbitrarily detained or missing abroad today continue to confront problems very similar to those Wallenberg’s parents did eight decades ago.
Communications between Swedish authorities and family members at times feel more like a war of attrition than a constructive exchange designed to advance the overall aim of rescuing the imprisoned individuals. Presently, there are no clear mechanisms in place for families to receive regular case updates or even for the most basic tasks, like scheduling meetings with Swedish officials.
Nearly all the families of Swedish citizens imprisoned or lost abroad after WWII share more or less the same story – past and present.
There has to be a better way.
Adopting a few relatively simple policy steps could help fix this problem, bringing relief to both sides.
The Swedish government has an important opportunity to lead on this issue, as well as the crafting of a more coordinated, international approach to solving cases of arbitrary detention, starting with its partners in the European Union.
Given the dramatic increase of political persecutions and incidents of international hostage taking by both state and non-state actors in recent years, more Swedish families, as well as EU citizens, are bound to face similar challenges.
Executive Summary
This report addresses the longstanding challenges faced by Swedish families advocating for the release of loved ones who are arbitrarily detained or missing abroad. Drawing from historical cases and contemporary examples, the report identifies systemic issues in Sweden’s approach to prisoner advocacy and proposes actionable solutions.
Aims
Short-term
● To create a set of guidelines, a manual, and/or departmental protocol outlining some of the available tools to help guide both families and officials through the crisis.
● To ease communication between family members and Swedish authorities and ensure the utilization of all available means of advocacy and support.
Long-term
● To establish a more effective advocacy system on behalf of Swedish citizens arbitrarily detained or missing abroad.
Key Findings
Historical and Systemic Challenges
○ Families often encounter unresponsiveness and insensitivity from Swedish officials.
○ The government’s “duty to silence” creates a prolonged information vacuum, exacerbating family distress.
○ Similar patterns persist in cases dating back to the Cold War, like that of Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg (Russia), and in recent high-profile detentions, including Dawit Isaak (Eritrea), Gui Minhai (China), and Ahmadreza Djalali (Iran).
Current Gaps:
○ Lack of regular updates and meaningful engagement with families.
○ Insufficient support systems for legal, psychological, and financial assistance.
○ Over-reliance on restrictive secrecy rules hinder effective communication.
○ Focus on bilateral vs. international advocacy mechanisms.
Comparative Insights:
○ The U.S. has reformed its hostage policies since 2015, emphasizing family engagement and inter-agency coordination.
Recommendations
Improving Communication
○ Appoint qualified family liaison officers to maintain regular contact and provide meaningful updates.
○ Develop a departmental protocol for empathetic, transparent communication.
Enhancing Family Support
○ Provide referrals to legal, psychological, and social services.
○ Consider legislative reforms to adjust strict secrecy rules, enabling better information sharing.
Strengthening Advocacy
○ Engage NGOs, human rights organizations, and allied governments to amplify advocacy efforts.
○ Explore international mechanisms, such as EU-wide frameworks for coordinated responses to arbitrary detentions.
Promoting Accountability
○ Implement targeted human rights sanctions against regimes involved in unlawful detentions.
○ Maximize the use of international legal remedies and multilateral partnerships to deter future incidents.
Learning from Global Practices
○ Adapt U.S. models, such as the Robert Levinson Act, to establish centralized coordination mechanisms and ensure timely declassification of intelligence for family briefings.
Conclusion
The Swedish government has an important opportunity to lead on the issue of advancing global human rights mechanisms, countering the scourge of international hostage taking and providing better support for its citizens. By adopting the proposed reforms, Sweden can enhance its own human rights advocacy, reduce family distress, and strengthen its position as a champion of international humanitarian law.
Please note: Regular RWI-70 circulars will resume later this month.
Susanne Berger, Coordinator
Contact: sberger37@hotmail.com