LEGAL FRAMEWORK

The constitution provides for “the freedom to practice one’s religion alone or in the company of others.” The law mandates there be no limitation of rights or freedoms on the grounds of religious opinion.

The constitution instructs public institutions to combat discrimination based on religious affiliation. According to law, complaints regarding discrimination for religious reasons in the private sector, in the government, or by a government agency or authority must be filed with the office of the Equality Ombudsman.

The constitution states, “The opportunities of religious minorities to preserve and develop a cultural and social life of their own shall be promoted.” No one is obliged to belong to a religious community or “divulge religious beliefs in relations with public institutions.”

Hate speech laws prohibit threats or expressions of contempt for persons based on several factors, including religious belief. Penalties for hate speech range from fines to a prison sentence of up to four years, depending on the incident’s severity.

Law enforcement authorities maintain statistics on hate crimes, including religiously motivated hate crimes, issuing them every two years. Law enforcement authorities may add a hate crime classification to an initial crime report or to existing charges during an investigation. Prosecutors determine whether to bring hate crime charges as part of the prosecution, and the defense has an opportunity to rebut the classification. In cases where the criminal act involves a hate crime, the penalties increase.

Animal slaughter must be preceded by stunning or the administration of anesthetics to minimize the animal’s suffering. There is no exemption for ritual slaughter.

The law stipulates that male circumcision may be performed only by a licensed doctor or, for boys under the age of two months, by a person certified by the National Board of Health and Welfare. The board certifies circumcisers, including mohels (individuals who conduct ritual Jewish circumcisions), to perform the procedure on boys younger than two months but also requires the presence of a medical doctor who must administer anesthesia to the infant.

The law does not allow for conscientious objections for medical personnel or any other profession from the obligation to perform a professional task, regardless of the religious or moral background of the objection.

There is no legal requirement for religious groups to register or otherwise seek recognition. Only those faith communities registered with the Agency for Support for Faith Communities (SST), however, are eligible to receive government funding and tax exemptions similar to those of nonprofit organizations. To register with the SST, a religious group must apply to the Ministry of Culture demonstrating the group fulfills certain requirements, including that it has operated in the country for at least five years, has a clear and stable structure, is able to function independently, serves at least 3,000 persons, and has several locations in the country.

The government facilitates fundraising by religious groups by offering them the option of collecting contributions through the Tax Agency in exchange for a one-time fee of 75,000 Swedish kronor ($7,500) and an annual fee of 21 kronor ($2) per member per year. The Church of Sweden is exempted from the annual fee because it, unlike other religious groups participating in the program, does not receive financial support from the SST. Only religious groups registered with the SST may participate in the program. Religious groups choose what percentage of members’ annual taxable income to collect, with a median collection rate of 1 percent. The Tax Agency subtracts a percentage of the member’s gross income and distributes it to the religious organization. The member’s contribution is not deductible from income tax.

The government provides grants to registered religious groups through the SST that are proportional to the size of a group’s membership. Registered religious groups may also apply for separate grants for specific purposes, such as security expenses.

As of January 2, school principals are required to disclose the school’s religious organizational tenets and structure to parents, guardians, and students, along with the law stating such religious elements should be voluntary and separated from school lessons. Religious practices conducted before a group, for example leading prayers in conjunction with mealtimes, are not allowed during the school hours and must be voluntary for students. Private entities establishing new independent schools are required to disclose and specify any religious orientation.

Religious education is compulsory in public and private schools. Teachers use a curriculum designed by the National Agency for Education that encompasses lessons regarding the major world religions without preference for any religious group. Parents may send their children to independent religious schools, which the government supports through a voucher system and which must adhere to government guidelines on core academic curricula, including religious education. Such schools may host voluntary religious activities outside the classroom, but these activities may not interfere with adherence to government guidelines on core academic curricula. The Education Act mandates compulsory in-school attendance for all students and does not allow for homeschooling on religious grounds, except in extenuating circumstances such as serious illness. The Act does not allow parents to have their children opt out of classes for religious reasons.

The military offers food options that are compliant with religious dietary restrictions. Each military district has a chaplain. According to the law, chaplains may be of any religious affiliation, but all current chaplains belong to the Church of Sweden. Regardless of religious denomination, chaplains are required to perform religious duties for members of other faiths or refer service members to spiritual leaders of other faiths if requested. The law specifically exempts members of Jehovah’s Witnesses from national military service. Other conscientious objectors may apply for unarmed military service but are in practice not inducted into the military. Armed forces guidelines allow religious headwear. Individuals serving in the military may observe their particular religious holidays in exchange for not taking equivalent leave on public holidays.

The country is a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

GOVERNMENT PRACTICES

Abuses Involving Violence, Detention, or Mass Resettlement

In February, the initiator of a 2022 social media campaign claiming the country’s Social Services was kidnapping Muslim children and placing them with non-Muslim foster families who forced them to eat pork and drink alcohol said he regretted starting the campaign, as it was incorrect and had far-reaching, unintended consequences. The government continued to state the original videos were part of an online disinformation campaign with origins in radical Islam that falsely claimed Muslim children and families were subjected to abuse by authorities. The social media campaign revived during the year following a series of Quran burnings and through videos claiming the country was anti-Muslim. In February, the government tasked the Psychological Defense Agency and Social Services to develop countermeasures to mitigate threats against social service workers because of the campaign and to inform foreign-born citizens and immigrants living in the country of the country’s legislation. Muslim leaders continued to condemn the social media campaign, but also urged authorities to take Muslim parents’ concerns regarding differences in cultural norms and practices into greater consideration. During the year, the SST convened a meeting between representatives of 10 faith communities, municipal and regional leaders, Social Services staff, and police. Christian and Muslim representatives stated their members had for years expressed concerns with how the Social Services processed their families’ cases and welcomed the meeting of the group as a new avenue for dialogue.

During the year, multiple demonstrations that included burning of holy scriptures took place in the country. Police granted permits for the demonstrations, citing the country’s far-reaching constitutional provisions of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. On January 21, Rasmus Paludan, a Danish-Swedish far-right provocateur, burned a Quran outside of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. On June 28, Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, two Iraqi-born immigrants, burned a Quran outside the Stockholm Mosque during the Muslim holiday Eid al-Adha. During the year, Momika and Najem burned the Quran an estimated 10 more times in different places in Stockholm, including twice outside the parliament and near the Iraqi and Iranian embassies, and in Malmo. Examples of what the media and government describe as desecrations during the year included burning the Quran, ripping pages out of the Quran, stomping on the pages of the Quran, and smearing bacon on the Quran.

As of September, police had received demonstration permit applications involving burning of religious material from 11 individuals, most of them regarding the Quran, but a few included burning the Bible or the Torah. There were no public reports of any actual burning of Bibles or Torahs.

During the year, the government reiterated it did not condone the actions of the demonstrators and that the constitutional provisions of free speech and free assembly limited its jurisdiction to take steps to stop the demonstrations. Prime Minister Kristersson stated, “What is legal is not always appropriate” and on July 2, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs condemned “the Islamophobic actions” undertaken by the demonstrators, describing the burnings as “offensive, respectless, and a clear provocation.”

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), several governments, social media influencers, and nonstate actors in the Middle East condemned the country for granting the permits and allowing desecration of the Quran. In reaction to the burnings, protesters in Iraq stormed and set fire to Sweden’s embassy in Baghdad, and in Lebanon a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the embassy. An unknown assailant’s shooting of a consulate staff member in Turkey was also likely linked to the Quran burnings. On August 4, Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom held a briefing on constitutional rights while condemning the burnings for approximately 20 Stockholm-based representatives of the OIC.

On August 18, the government appointed an independent investigator to review the Public Order Act, the act that lays out the criteria for processing demonstration permits. The government stated the review was necessary considering the Swedish Security Service’s decision to raise the terrorist threat level because of the Quran burnings and the disinformation campaign about actions of the Social Services. Minister for Justice Gunnar Strommer emphasized the review would not include or propose constitutional changes, limitations on free speech, or the introduction of blasphemy laws. The special investigator final report was due by July 1, 2024.

Muslim, Jewish, and Christian leaders released several joint statements condemning the desecration of the Quran and any scriptures and expressed concerns over an elevated threat risk from extremists following the Quran desecrations.

During 2022 and 2023, courts ruled against several police attempts to deny or relocate demonstrations involving desecrations of Qurans as unlawful limitations of free speech and assembly. At year’s end, the Stockholm Prosecutor’s Office was investigating whether perpetrators of the June 28 Quran desecration could be charged for the crime of incitement against an ethnic group under a law that also provides for a criminal offense of incitement against a religious group.

Abuses Limiting Religious Belief and Expression

On April 21, the all-party parliamentary Committee on Criminalizing Holocaust Denial proposed adding an offense to the criminal code for denial, excusing, and intentionally downplaying genocide, crimes against humanity, or other war crimes and also included as a criminal offense the intent to express hatred or incite violence or disrespect towards an individual or a group. Minister for Justice Strommer welcomed the proposal. The proposal was reviewed for comment by agencies, religious groups, and other interested parties.

In October, the Linkoping District Court convicted a man of incitement to hatred against a group for burning a Quran in 2020 along with bacon, leaving the burnt Quran outside a Linkoping Mosque, and posting a video of the events set to far-right music in 2020. The District Court concluded that the video was aimed at Muslims, and not at Islam as a religion. The case was the first in which a court ruled that a Quran burning could constitute incitement against an ethnic group, under a law which also enumerates a criminal offense of incitement against a religious group. An appeal was pending at year’s end.

Abuses Involving the Ability of Individuals to Engage in Religious Activities Alone or In Community with Others

The government continued to review the former government’s proposed legislation that would require faith communities and civil society organizations to meet “democracy criteria” to be eligible for state grants. Minister for Social Affairs Jakob Forssmed stated that the government had considered input from civil society and religious leaders on similar legislation proposed by a previous government and would incorporate feedback from religious groups in the new proposal. Christian representatives and interfaith organizations stated that some regional and municipal levels had already initiated use of democracy criteria as a condition of granting funds. If adopted, the proposed “democracy criteria” legislation would permit the SST or other parts of the government to deny or withdraw funding if a faith community’s congregation members or representatives used violence, coercion, or threats against a person; violated children’s or a congregation member’s rights; discriminated against individuals or groups; otherwise violated the principle of the equal value of all human beings; or opposed the democratic system of government.

Jewish and Muslim representatives reported continued discussions with the National Board on Health and Welfare and the Health and Social Care Inspectorate on how the required use of anesthesia when conducting male circumcisions complicated the procedures for the Jewish community. Jewish representatives stated that the increasingly rigorous processes of permits for mohels coupled with a greater emphasis on children’s rights (versus the importance of the religious practice) could in the future lead to a de facto ban on male circumcision. All six health care regions continued to offer male circumcision, which was performed almost exclusively in religious communities, although the National Board of Health and Welfare had no statistics on how many children were circumcised during the year. Sweden Democrats submitted parliamentary proposals banning non-medical male circumcision for children. A local Center Party politician submitted a proposal on a proposed ban to the Center Party Congress, which did not receive backing from the party.

Some Muslim groups and the Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities continued to state they considered the law requiring stunning of and/or administration of anesthetics to animals prior to slaughter to conflict with their religious practices. The Muslim community remained divided over whether the requirement conformed to halal procedures. The Jewish community reported the law effectively prevented domestic production of kosher meat. Most halal meat and all kosher meat continued to be imported. Jewish representatives voiced concern over parliamentary proposals by the Sweden Democrats to ban import of halal and kosher meat.

Jewish leaders criticized a new law requiring independent schools to register if they have a religious affiliation and said it had forced Jewish schools to classify themselves as religious independent schools. Jewish leaders disagreed with the decision, as the Jewish community did not view the schools as religiously affiliated. Nevertheless, not registering the schools would have resulted in the schools having to remove any Jewish-related elements, and, according to leaders, would have deprived Jewish families of a secure space to send their children to school, which they said was important given the recent rise in antisemitism. Leaders of independent Christian schools stated they had been preparing for the stricter legislation. They described the legislation for registration and stricter separation of denominational elements during class periods as a case of the government singling out and discriminating against religious communities.

On March 16, the Schools Inspectorate released a report stating 24 of 47 inspected independent schools with religious orientation had been cited for violations of or non-compliance with national guidelines for education in 2022. The Inspectorate stated the schools had not complied with the law by allowing prayers, psalm singing, bible reading, and learning Quran surahs during teaching time. The report also stated the inspectorate revoked in 2022 the operating permits for four private schools with a Muslim profile. The Security Services assessed students at two of the schools ran an increased risk of radicalization. In the other two cases, the principals allegedly had not followed regulations on financial reporting. Principals of the schools stated, “It is easy to get the impression that the Inspectorate does not want Muslim independent schools at all, but since there is no legal support the agency has to rely on vague arguments.” All four revocation decisions were on appeal at year’s end.

The Church of Sweden, the Christian Council of Sweden (CCS), and the Interfaith Council of Sweden (ICS) criticized the Migration Agency for discrimination against Christians – primarily those who converted to Christianity from Islam after arriving in Sweden – who said they risked religious persecution if they return to their home countries. The representatives stated the Migration Agency had a poor understanding of religion, and its decisions on converts were arbitrary and differed too much between regions. The Christian Council and the Interfaith Council welcomed a joint education project with the Migration Agency to offer education on Christian beliefs and practices to Migration Agency staff, but stated the need for further improvements.

The Equality Ombudsman’s 2022 inquiry into reports by parents of two 12-year-old children in the Danderyd and Taby municipalities, respectively, that their children faced antisemitic harassment in school was ongoing at year’s end. The children reported fellow students had for several years subjected them to antisemitic taunts such as, “Jew bastard,” heard threats such as “Gas the Jew” and Nazi salutes and Nazi fight songs in school.

On December 12, the equality ombudsman fined a school 50,000 kronor ($5,000) for discrimination for failing to offer kosher food to a Jewish student. The parents of the student reported the need for kosher food before the school year, but the school decided the cost would be too high. The student therefore had to bring his own food from home, despite legislation stating that students must be offered nutritious school meals free of charge.

On December 13, the Swedish Labor Court ruled in favor of a security company that denied a Muslim woman the right to wear a headscarf at work. The court agreed with the employer’s assessment that the headscarf could be interpreted by some as provocative and lead to violence, underlining that the employer had a responsibility to uphold workplace safety. Civil Rights Defenders, the human rights organization that sued the company, expressed its disappointment following the decision and stated it may appeal the ruling.

Sweden Democratic Party representatives continued to make provocative and sometimes discriminatory comments about Muslims and Islam. During the party’s national conference from November 23 to 26, party leader Jimmie Akesson presented proposals to stop the establishment of new mosques in Sweden as well as demolishing mosques which he said spread “propaganda.” He also advocated for eavesdropping on religious communities and the removal of Islamic symbols such as crescent moons and minarets from public places. The comments were widely criticized by all political parties, the media, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and civil society. Prime Minister Kristersson said, “I think it is a disrespectful way of expressing oneself, a polarizing way of expressing oneself. This misrepresents what Sweden stands for internationally.” In response to the criticism, Akesson added he would propose closing instead of demolishing such mosques so the buildings could be repurposed.

On January 26, Sweden Democratic Party Member of Parliament (MP) and Chair of the Justice Committee Richard Jomshof commented on social media, “I don’t believe you should burn Qurans, but it is allowed, and if they’re upset by that, let us burn 100 more Qurans.” On July 27, Jomshof posted on social media, “Or why not a dialogue about Islam, this antidemocratic, violence-advocating, and misogynistic religion/ideology, founded by the warlord, mass murderer, slave trader, and robber Muhammad?” after a Quran burning led to global reactions. On August 14, the opposition parties and several NGOs called on Jomshof to resign as chair of the Justice Committee. Liberal MP Carl Hamilton commented on the debate in an August 16 televised interview, stating his party’s limit would “be reached if [the Sweden Democrats] start talking the same way about Jews.” Politicians, leaders of religious groups, and community leaders criticized Hamilton’s statement for comparing and ranking minorities. On August 16, Hamilton apologized for his statement and resigned as an MP. Mohammad Fazlhashemi, professor of Islamic theology and philosophy at Uppsala University, said the country’s Muslims could interpret Hamilton’s statements as confirmation of “a widespread suspicion” that there was a higher threshold of tolerance for anti-Muslim statements, compared with antisemitic statements.

In May, media outlets exposed several local Sweden Democratic Party politicians for purchasing antisemitic propaganda products from the extremist online store Midgard. When asked by the media about his purchases, local politician Henrik Corneliusson questioned the existence of the Holocaust and stated it was legal to buy all kinds of books and music.

Jamal El-Haj, a Social Democratic Party MP, participated in “The 20th European Palestinians Conference: 75 Years On… We Will Return” in Malmo on May 27-28 against his party’s recommendation in light of the event’s affiliation with Hamas. El-Haj’s participation met with wide public criticism and politicians and civil society representatives called for his resignation. On May 26, the Simon Wiesenthal Center condemned the conference. The Official Council of Swedish Jewish Communities and the Jewish Youth Association met on June 26 with Social Democratic Party Leader Magdalena Andersson and Party Group Leader Lena Hallengren to object to El-Haj’s continued position within the party. The conference’s chairman, Amin Abu Rashed, commented that the Israeli Ambassador to Sweden Ziv Nevo Kulman and the “Israeli lobby” had tried to smear the conference and El-Haj with disinformation campaigns. El-Haj remained an MP at year’s end, but his party removed him from parliamentary committees.

Other Developments Affecting Religious Freedom

On January 23, the Swedish Presidency of the EU, the European Commission, and the Swedish Presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) organized a memorial conference on the Holocaust in Brussels. Key speakers were Minister for Gender Equality and Deputy Minister for Labor Paulina Brandberg, Vice President of the European Commission for the Promotion of Our European Lifestyle Margaritis Schinas, IHRA Chair Ambassador Ann Bernes, and IHRA’s Honorary Chair Professor Yehuda Bauer. On January 26-27, victims of the Holocaust were honored in memorial ceremonies in Stockholm organized by the Forum for Living History and the Jewish Community in Stockholm. First-, second-, and third-generation Holocaust survivors, Crown Princess Victoria, Minister Brandberg, and Speaker Andreas Norlen were among the attendees. The country ended its IHRA presidency in February.

On June 19, Queen Silvia, Speaker Andreas Norlen, and Culture Minister Parisa Liljestrand inaugurated Stockholm’s Holocaust Museum’s first physical exhibition. For the year, the government allocated 45 million kronor ($4.5 million) to the National Historical Museum for the construction of Holocaust Museum exhibits, in coordination with the Living History Forum. Of the funds, three million kronor ($299,000) were earmarked for management, dissemination, and education about the Swedish-language version of the installation, “Dimensions in Testimony,” for schools and museums throughout the country during the period 2022-24.

On January 26, the government introduced its new task force for Jewish life in Sweden, to run from 2023-26. Prime Minister Kristersson stated the task force would coordinate efforts to combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life through three focus areas: raising awareness, increasing the safety of Jews in the country, and highlighting Jewish culture. The task force’s first meeting focused on safety and security and had 30 participants including ministry staff, regional decision makers, agencies such as the SST, the Living History Forum, the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, and the Police Authority.

The government launched an effort in 2022 to map and describe difficulties religious communities and their affiliated organizations faced in protecting their properties against attack or damage, as well as to propose government-based insurance coverage in the event of loss. The effort was still in process at the end of the year.

The government increased the annual grant amount for security measures to religious organizations and civil society to 74 million kronor ($7.4million), compared with 44 million kronor ($4.4 million) in 2022. A wide range of civil society organizations, including faith-based NGOs, remained eligible for funding from the Legal, Financial, and Administrative Services Agency to improve their security by, for example, purchasing security cameras and hiring security guards. Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders welcomed the increased funding but continued to state a needlessly complex and resource-intensive process to apply for and access the funding was frustrating.

The SST continued to collaborate with other government agencies and civil society to promote dialogue between the government and faith communities as well as to contribute to the public’s knowledge about religion. During the year, the SST continued to cooperate with several municipalities and regions to set up interreligious dialogues with a focus on democracy promotion, countering violent extremism, and educating municipal employees on issues of religion and religious freedom. As part of the government’s implementation of the National Plan to Combat Racism, Similar Forms of Hostility, and Hate Crimes, the SST was tasked to strengthen the security of religious communities, increase its knowledge of their security situations at a regional and municipal level, and produce a report on the security situation of various faith communities.