Human rights

Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Madam Speaker! The matter we are now debating is the Committee on Foreign Affairs' report 2022/23:UU15 Human Rights. The report deals with motions from the general motion period in the autumn of 2022. The motions concern democracy, human rights, and the principles of the rule of law. The report contains 20 reservations and approximately 100 motions from the general motion period.

Let me also mention initially that the section on hbtqi persons will be debated on behalf of the Moderates by my colleague Fredrik Saweståhl.

I also note that the report proposes a motion for the government to work towards creating unity within the EU for the purpose of listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, as a terrorist organization.

I move for approval of the committee's proposal and rejection of the reservations.

In times of crises - such as the covid-19 pandemic, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the climate crisis, to mention some of the serious issues we have to handle across the globe - people's lives and how societies function worldwide are affected. In such contexts, it is extremely important to have robust and resilient structures to protect fundamental human rights, Mr. Speaker. These rights are universal and apply to all people regardless of country, culture, and context. We are all born free and equal in dignity and rights.

Eight months ago, the extensive protests demanding human rights in Iran began – protests that Iranian authorities have met with brutal repression and deadly violence. Hundreds of people have been killed in connection with the protests, and thousands have been arrested. The EU has condemned with full force the Iranian regime's brutal violence with the death penalty and executions. The death penalty is irrevocable and something that Sweden always, everywhere and regardless of circumstances, condemns.

We have been able to witness how particularly journalists and media in Iran are subjected to persecution and how free speech is being restricted. Sweden is part of an international media freedom coalition that highlights exactly the vulnerable situation of journalists and which has clearly criticized what is currently happening in Iran. This also applies to the extensive restriction of the internet in Iran, which prevents the free flow of information and freedom of information.

The brave Iranians who venture out, risking their lives to make their voices heard and demand their human rights, deserve all respect as well as our support and our solidarity. We shall work to strengthen the peaceful protesters' voices by expressing our support for their right to protest and demand human rights. We shall exert political pressure on Iran so that the violent repression shall cease. For this, Sweden's government acts both within the EU and in the UN.

Let me mention here that the government has communicated the demands that the violence must cease in direct talks with Iranian representatives. UD has, in addition, frequent contacts with Iranian representatives, including Iran's ambassador in Stockholm, to whom Sweden's and the government's sharp criticism is conveyed.

Sweden was one of the countries that advocated for the UN Human Rights Council to convene a special session on November 24 to discuss and mark the serious human rights violations in Iran. At the session, it was decided to establish an independent mechanism, a fact-finding mission, to investigate the human rights violations in Iran. It is an important step to ensure that those responsible for the violence are held accountable.

To achieve results, Sweden cannot act alone but must cooperate with other countries. Here, the EU's member states are obviously our natural partners for cooperation. I am pleased to be able to state that the government, during the Swedish presidency, has been proactive for a continued united and strong EU regarding Iran. And Sweden will continue to be proactive so that Iran's regime shall comply with the population's rightful demands for human rights and that the violence shall cease.

Mr. Speaker! Actually, it should not be difficult. Respect for human rights, democracy, the principles of the rule of law, and a market economy provide the best conditions for a society based on peace, freedom, tolerance, and non-discrimination.

Despite this, we are reached by daily reports of how regimes commit crimes and abuses against dissenters and minorities, of how governments fail in the principle of the separation of powers, of how freedom of speech is restricted and media is seized, of how women and girls are discriminated against - as well as religious and ethnic minorities - and of how civil society organizations are weakened and political pluralism is countered. It is a frightening picture, isn't it? But we shall not let ourselves be depressed, but as parliamentarians we shall unswervingly continue to work so that human rights shall be respected.

Mr. Speaker! Let me now say a few words about Russia's illegal war against Ukraine. The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant against Russia's president Vladimir Putin in March this year. This shows that the international bodies function and that the international courts act when despicable crimes against humanity are committed.

Let me also mention that the EU, USA and Canada have issued sanctions against Russia - sanctions that affect the economic and political elite in Russia. Here, unity is important. And I can proudly state - I say this because I think it is important - that the EU is united. It is important that the EU continues to stand united, because without unity there is no power to oppose Russia.

Let me also mention another thing that I think we must work for when it comes to Russia's illegal war against Ukraine, Mr. Speaker. It is about the war laws that the Russian Duma has adopted. These laws make it illegal to criticize Putin's war against Ukraine. I say: Vladimir Kara-Murza - a Russian opposition politician who has worked for political diversity in Russia, who supports the opposition and who has supported Boris Nemtsov's work against corruption.

Vladimir Kara-Murza was arrested after criticizing Putin's war against Ukraine in an interview with CNN. Two hours later he was arrested, and he is now sentenced to 25 years in prison. This is how a state that does not respect the principles of the rule of law operates. We will hold Russia's regime accountable for this and will not give up until Vladimir Kara-Murza and Navalny and other prisoners are released.

Mr. Speaker! There is much more I could say here, but I will conclude with this. I also want to say, however, that an important issue for respect for human rights is that those rulers and regimes who do not respect human rights and the principles of the rule of law are held accountable. They must not get away completely unscathed; they must be held to account. There, we shall ensure to work strongly and clearly for the principles of the rule of law and the rights of citizens.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Mr. Speaker! I had not intended to request a reply, but when Margareta Cederfelt referred to Vladimir Kara-Murza, who has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for high treason, I could not help myself.

Mr. Speaker! It is one thing to stand in the speaker's chair here in the chamber and criticize, but it is another thing to push forward so that it is truly clear that one is not just talking but also acting to achieve something other than statement politics that Vladimir Putin does not care about. Are Margareta Cederfelt and the Moderaterna prepared to introduce Magnitsky sanctions against those responsible for Kara-Murza's arrest, imprisonment, and 25-year sentence?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Mr. Speaker! We are working actively on all fronts. In all forums where there is an opportunity, it is a matter of finding a way forward to work for the release of Vladimir Kara-Murza and other political prisoners – I mentioned Navalny earlier. This is something I hope that Kerstin Lundgren is also prepared to do, because we must ensure that human rights defenders and persons who defend democracy receive the support they deserve.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Mr. Speaker! I submitted the first interpellation during this mandate period regarding precisely Vladimir Kara-Murza and measures for him to be released and that action must be taken from the Swedish side. I then asked the question regarding Magnitsky sanctions towards those responsible. At that time, the Foreign Minister did not rule out any measures. Since then, nothing else has happened other than that Kara-Murza has now been sentenced to 25 years in prison for high treason. I submitted a new question to the Foreign Minister, to which I received an answer just recently. There, too, no measures are ruled out.

Mr. Speaker! I do not believe, in the name of honesty, that either Kara-Murza or Navalny will receive a lighter sentence or be released because we do not exclude any measures from the Swedish side or because Margareta Cederfelt says that we should work so that they are released. What is happening is that it is shown time and again that if one does not set hard against hard and take measures - regardless of whether it concerns the war in Ukraine or the arrest of Navalny, Kara-Murza or others - the regime in Russia does not care at all about this.

Why then are the Moderates not prepared to push for Magnitsky sanctions, as the Center Party has done and as I have done, so that it really costs those who are responsible for Kara-Murza's situation?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Mr. Speaker! I would like to thank Kerstin Lundgren for raising this important issue, because it is important that the principles of the rule of law are respected, that courts are free and independent, and that no person should be arrested and imprisoned in the manner that has been done here. I welcome the decision that has been taken by the ICC to bring Vladimir Putin to justice, and I look forward to the entire list of indictments that is there.

I can see the Magnitsky legislation as an important part, but it is a matter of not just fixating on one thing. It is a matter of taking every opportunity, not only the opportunities that are given but also opportunities that one creates oneself. If we are many and pressure is applied from all sides and angles – for example through the sanctions within the EU, the transatlantic cooperation – I am convinced that with firm pressure against Russia and Vladimir Putin, there are possibilities for the release of political prisoners.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! This committee report handles a large number of motions that in different ways concern human rights.

On December 10 of this year, it will be 75 years since the Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN. Unfortunately, there are many states that consistently violate human rights. In Iran, the population, not least the female part of the population, has lived under Islamist oppression for over 40 years. The murder of Mahsa Jina Amini on September 16, 2022, was not an isolated incident but part of a series of extreme violence against women and girls carried out by the Iranian regime. One month before Amini's death, the president signed a decree ordering even harsher reprisals when women do not wear their hijab according to the regime's instructions.

During the last half year, we have seen how Iranian women have bravely risen up against their oppressors and protested against the regime and for their right to freedom. They have gathered people from all parts of the population, all age groups, and in all parts of the country in the will for change, in the will for freedom and democracy. In pictures from Iran, we see today a changed cityscape with women who bravely walk on the streets without the mandatory hijab.

The response from the Iranian regime has been a terrible brutality. According to the UN, at least 527 people have been killed, of whom 71 were children. 22,000 have been imprisoned. Children, women, and men have brutally lost their lives because they have stood up for their own and their fellow countrymen's rights.

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran reports on hundreds who have suffered serious eye injuries or completely lost their sight due to the use of metal pellets and rubber bullets by security forces. The forces have deliberately shot women at the protests in the face, chest, and genitals to cause extremely severe injuries.

Out of fear, many injured have not dared to seek care at state healthcare facilities, and it is reported that ambulances have been used to transport demonstrators to detention, that medicine has been confiscated by the revolutionary guard at checkpoints near Kurdish cities, and that medical personnel have been forced to issue death certificates based on instructions from security forces.

The Iranian regime has lost all form of legitimacy. All that remains is an apparatus of violence. It is a regime that places all its legitimacy in its capital of violence, which extends far beyond Iran's own borders. That Iran supports Russia with drones in the war against Ukraine shows that the Iranian regime is not only a threat to its own citizens but also in our immediate vicinity.

How we and other countries act is crucial. As the chair of the EU, Sweden's position becomes even more important. With the report, it will now finally be a united Riksdag that announces to the government that Sweden shall work to create unity within the EU to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization under the sanctions legislation for terrorism.

In March, we called the government to deliberation to make it clear that a majority in the Riksdag wants Sweden to work towards listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, but it has taken until now to achieve consensus. If a terrorist listing is to become possible, there must be member states that take the lead and work actively to gather support among all member states. And who can be more suitable to take this lead than the country that currently holds the gavel?

I regret that the government did not receive this demand before Christmas. I regret that we did not enter the chair with demands that the government should create unity in the EU for a terror listing, but I am pleased that the message is clear here today.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard is an organization that uses the same verses to call for Islamist jihad as several other known terrorist organizations. It is an organization that kidnaps, tortures and murders, an organization that spreads terror far beyond Iran's borders.

After the newspaper Charlie Hebdo had published caricatures depicting the ayatollah, the IRGC's commander-in-chief gave a speech on January 10 this year in which he said that the French government and Charlie Hebdo's staff had made a big mistake and that Muslims will sooner or later seek revenge.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard can be regarded as nothing other than a terrorist organization. Now it is time for the Council of the EU to do what the European Parliament has urged them to do, what even the President of the European Commission has expressed support for. It is time for the EU to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.

Mr. Speaker! Before I leave the question of Iran for this time, I want to be clear about the way forward. A feminist foreign policy is also needed here. When Iran's women have bravely risen up against decades of oppression, we must have the respect to meet them by highlighting them as part of the solution. It must end that men should decide for Iran's women.

In politics and in peace solutions, it often ends with men sitting at the negotiating table and negotiating how democratization processes should look and how peace and stability should be maintained. But this can and must not be solved by men for men. Here, Sweden, together with other countries, must actively work to highlight women as part of the solution. Sweden must do everything we can to meet the Iranian people's will for freedom. Jin, jiyan, azadi!

Mr. Speaker! On May 20, 2016, the Turkish parliament passed a constitutional amendment where parliamentary immunity was revoked for a total of 154 members, of which 55 members were from HDP. On the evening of November 4 of the same year, the party leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yüksekdag and several other members of parliament were deprived of their liberty.

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled three times that Demirtas's rights have been violated, and it has now been six years since HDP's two party leaders were imprisoned. The majority of HDP's members and mayors are deprived of their liberty, and thousands of others are held in detention.

Free opposition is a prerequisite for a democratic and pluralistic society. We also state this in the report. We in the Social Democrats believe that Sweden must act for the release of Selahattin Demirtas, Figen Yüksekdag and other political prisoners in Turkey. I therefore move for approval of reservation 6.

Mr. Speaker! In conclusion, Russia has for a long time developed in an increasingly authoritarian direction. In 2012, the legislation on foreign agents was adopted, which was the start of a series of legislations aimed at silencing the Russian opposition and civil society. In connection with the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine last spring, the democratic conditions in Russia worsened. Today, it is almost impossible to carry out democracy work in Russia and impossible to act as a civil society organization.

The work to counter violence against women, promote rights for women and hbtqi persons, and support civil society is exhausted. We have met people who for decades have fought and worked to promote democracy in Russia but who now fear not only for their own lives but also for their relatives' and who do not have the possibility to be in the country as the risk of being imprisoned is so great. People who oppose the Russian regime and who use their right to express themselves risk losing their children. The Russian regime uses all possible means to stifle all voices for democracy and stop all opposition.

Today, the conditions are missing for democratic elections to be held. Sweden must push for Aleksej Navalnyj, Vladimir Kara-Murza and other political prisoners to be released immediately.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Markus Wiechel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! No one is happier than I am about the Social Democrats' sudden awakening on the Iran issue. Alexandra Völker spent a large part of her time talking about Iran, and I am, of course, very pleased with that. The problem is what I have said several times before, namely that the Social Democrats' track record on the Iran issue is not something to be proud of.

What I am referring to is, among other things, when Sweden's former Foreign Minister Ann Linde participated in the celebration of the Islamic Republic's 40th anniversary at the Iranian embassy. She thus participated in the celebration of 40 years of oppression.

I also speak about when a veiled Swedish delegation from the Social Democratic government traveled to Iran to sign trade agreements and conduct trade with this oppressive regime.

I am speaking about when the Social Democratic government welcomed Iran's former foreign minister, the Islamist Zarif, who was allowed to speak to the media more or less unchallenged. I participated myself in the question period with him. There were two politicians on site who asked sharp, critical questions to him – it was I and my party colleague Ludvig Aspling from Sverigedemokraterna.

My question, Mr. Speaker, is whether Alexandra Völker is proud of the Social Democrats' Iran policy during the last parliamentary term.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! I note that we have had many such debates lately, and it is clear that there is much we can all reflect upon regarding the handling of Iran over a long period in Swedish politics.

What I also observe is that the Sweden Democrats are happy to fly the flag high. But the fact is, just as I pointed out in my speech, that I would have wished that we had entered this into the Swedish presidency. It is the Sweden Democrats who are the reason it did not happen. You chose to yield in the EU Committee, Markus Wiechel; you chose to go along with the government's line.

If you and your party comrades in the autumn – the parliamentary group that sits now – had chosen to stand up for what you say you stand for, that is to say to demand that Sweden's government act to work towards uniting the EU's member countries to blacklist the Revolutionary Guard, that would have been Sweden's position. Then we would have entered the chairmanship with exactly that mandate to the government.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Markus Wiechel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! That is not quite correct. It was actually the Sverigedemokraterna who pushed for it to be a majority for the toughest possible measure against the IRGC. That was not enough, and then we moved forward.

The motions that will now be processed, which Alexandra Völker stands behind, are an SD motion and a Centerparti motion regarding the terror list IRGC. It is actually our policy that the Socialdemokraterna are now pushing through. She cannot escape that.

Furthermore, I noted that the member did not answer whether she is proud or not of the Social Democrats' Iran policy during the last parliamentary term. I would therefore like to clarify the question: Is it the case that the member distances herself from the fact that Ann Linde visited the Iranian regime's embassy and celebrated 40 years of oppression?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is interesting who has done what, and we can probably play that game for a long time. But the fact is that the toughest possible line creates a number of options, and it is also clear what the government has done with those options.

We would instead have wanted the requirement to work to gather support for the terror list. It would have been a clear, sharp requirement. As you are very well aware, Markus Wiechel, it is what is decided in the EU Committee that also applies and the mandate that the government has in the EU. Right then in December, we could have made a difference.

We have not stopped there, but we have continued. We have lamented that the government has not once succeeded in getting Iran up as an actual item on the EU's agenda. That has meant that we have not had the opportunity to act here in the Swedish Riksdag, and then we have tried to find the paths that exist. One such was that we Social Democrats in the Committee on Foreign Affairs demanded that the Minister for Foreign Affairs should come to the committee for deliberations. It was also that which made it possible for us to actually convey the message to the government that came in March. There it became clear that the committee majority said that one works towards a terror listing, and that is the first step.

The opinion has now been reused in the report. Among other things, we partially support one of your motions. Centerpartiet and Socialdemokraterna have also submitted motions, but they have ended up in the EU report. The issue has been raised in several cases, and we have done everything we could to push it forward. We worked on it in December, but you blocked the proposal. Since then, we have tried to find all available paths, but the government has kept the issue on its desk and has not acted.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Mr. Speaker! In this report on human rights, the committee proposes a notification to the government to create unity within the EU to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, as a terrorist organization. The committee further proposes that the Riksdag reject all other motions with reference to ongoing work. We Christian Democrats stand behind the entire report and thus also this notification.

The Iranian people are persecuted today by their own government. The Revolutionary Guard is the regime's extended arm, and they arrest, torture, and oppress Iranian protesters, not least women who dare to resist the regime's demands that they must cover their hair and faces. A state should not have control over how a woman is allowed to move, behave, or dress.

At the same time as the revolutionary guard oppresses the Iranian population, they sponsor and support Islamist terrorist groups in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and several other countries. Several countries have therefore already branded or listed the revolutionary guard as terrorists, including the USA. It is therefore time for the EU circle to do the same. That a united Riksdag hopefully stands behind this demand at the vote taking place next week is therefore eagerly awaited.

The past year, the lack of women's rights in countries in the Middle East has been in the spotlight. The Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan means that women can no longer go to the grocery store themselves and are also not allowed to go to school. In Iran, Mahsa Jina Amini was murdered for the crime of wearing a veil in a way that was not considered modest enough.

The Christian Democrats are driving the government to take action against the Iranian regime and for women to be able to live freely in Iran. The Foreign Minister was also clear in the foreign policy declaration when he expressed that Sweden, through the EU, shall exert strong political pressure so that the violent repression shall cease.

Mr. Speaker! Sweden is and shall be a strong voice for democracy, freedom, and human rights. I therefore want to highlight another area that we Christian Democrats have for a long time worked for in this chamber, namely freedom of religion. Despite the fact that freedom of religion is one of the fundamental rights in the UN Declaration of Human Rights as well as in the European Convention, and despite the fact that more than 80 percent of the world's population identifies with a religion, the issue of freedom of religion has played an all too small role in Swedish foreign policy or development cooperation.

More than three-quarters of the world's population live in countries where freedom of religion and belief is severely restricted by the state or by other groups in society. Violations of freedom of religion and belief prevent people from living their lives in freedom, counteract the development of equal, peaceful and democratic societies, and also often contribute to lives in poverty and vulnerability.

When it comes to the issue of persecution of Christians, the development is particularly worrying as the persecution has increased sharply in recent years. It is now worse than ever, and many Christians around the world risk life, imprisonment, abuse, and torture because of their faith. 360 million Christians are subject to persecution because of their faith, which means that Christians are the largest persecuted religious group in the world.

The negative development of recent years is primarily due to an increase in deadly violence in Somalia, Nigeria, and other countries in Africa south of the Sahara due to violent and extremist jihadism in combination with weak states. Even in the Middle East, we see a serious situation where religious minorities risk disappearing completely from their countries of origin. There are, of course, also other groups in other places who are persecuted because of their beliefs, and I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the situation for Uyghurs in China, which we absolutely must not lose focus on.

Mr. Speaker! With this, I move to approve the committee's proposal in report UU15.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Rasmus Giertz (SD)

Mr. Speaker! On the agenda today we have the Committee on Foreign Affairs' report 15, which contains particularly important issues for us regarding human rights. With reference to the ongoing cooperation between the Sweden Democrats and the government parties, and since the intention in our policy has in large parts gained traction in the committee's positions, I intend today to raise some additional issues that we wish to emphasize. Initially, I therefore move for approval of the Sweden Democrats' reservation 10.

Mr. Speaker! The terrible civil war in Syria and neighboring Iraq, which have merged into one and the same war where one atrocity succeeds another, has entered a less intense phase following the fall of the Islamic State. The situation is still difficult for all affected civilians in the area, but there is reason to highlight the situation of ethnic and religious minorities as particularly serious and problematic.

From the very beginning of the conflict, the Christian minorities have had it particularly difficult as a vulnerable religious group because the Christians, compared to for example Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish parties, have been fewer in number and have not had supporting neighboring states or larger organizations that defended them. It is an expression of that Christians are the most persecuted group in the world. It occurs strikingly often in areas where Islamist terror ideology is present with a large influence.

Mr. Speaker! When the Islamic State occupied Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, we could read about horrific abuses against the 35,000 Christian inhabitants. There have been testimonies that Christians' homes were marked with special symbols, whereupon they were given three options: convert to Islam, be executed, or pay a special Muslim tax to receive a temporary reprieve. The result was devastating. Mosul was emptied of its Christian population, who had to flee for their lives.

In connection with the takeover, the Islamic State also began its struggle to ban and exterminate all forms of cultural expressions that did not align with its own strict interpretation of Islam. The example of Mosul is telling of the vulnerable situation of Christians in Syria and Iraq. This can be described as nothing other than a religious and cultural genocide.

The Sweden Democrats view the development for Christians and other minorities internationally with great concern, out of respect for both the lives of the individual people and the ancient and worthy-of-protection cultures. We are therefore particularly concerned that the future of these vulnerable groups is secured as soon as possible. We also view it with pleasure that the Committee on Foreign Affairs, under the heading Freedom of Religion and Belief, pays special attention to the situation of Christian minorities. We can particularly note the need for support and country- and region-specific measures.

Mr. Speaker! For thousands of years, various minorities in Iraq, including Christians, have inhabited the Nineveh Plain, which was part of the ancient Assyrian Empire. In recent years, the number of residents in the area has decreased drastically as a result of the deteriorating security situation in Iraq and Kurdistan. When the terrorist organization Islamic State took control of the area, the situation worsened further. Islamic State displaced and murdered a large number of people, seized their assets, and destroyed their houses, churches, and infrastructure. Thousands of years old and invaluable cultural treasures were destroyed.

Thank God, the Islamic State has been driven out of the area, but the terrorist group managed to destroy a lot. Despite this, many people have wished to have the opportunity to move back to their homes to try to rebuild their lives again. In addition to this, Syrians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and several other groups living in the area are struggling to maintain their identity. But as the Christian group becomes smaller, there is also a risk that their language, culture, and identity are threatened.

We therefore emphasize that it is particularly important that the government gives its full support so that the Christian minorities living on the Nineveh Plain can be able to maintain their identity as well as contribute in various ways to the work of rebuilding their society after the Islamists' terrible ravages. Last but not least, the self-defense forces that provide the population with protection and security need to be rebuilt.

Mr. Speaker! The extensive testimonies regarding concentration camps and horrific abuses in the Chinese Xinjiang province are well known today, despite denials from the Chinese Communist Party and attempts to censor reality. Extensive abuses were committed against Uyghurs, Falun Gong followers, Christians, and other minorities. All forms of abuse from totalitarian regimes against ethnic groups or religious groups are, regardless of motive, always completely reprehensible and must be strictly condemned by the free democratic world. People have, solely based on which ethnic group they happened to be born into, been systematically gathered together to be funneled in a horrific manner into concentration camps. There, they have been subjected to physical and psychological torture, sterilization, and forced indoctrination.

Mr. Speaker! The Chinese communist dictatorship shows once again that history repeats itself and serves as a reminder of the ideology's appalling intolerance towards ethnic groups and towards human dignity. Against this background, the government should clearly condemn the state-sanctioned mass atrocities against Uyghurs and other minorities and work towards an independent international review of China's abuses against minorities. The Swedish government should also work to ensure that the European Union's member states, together but within the framework of their own foreign policies, direct sanctions against those who bear responsibility for these atrocities.

Mr. Speaker! The situation regarding human rights in Iran is very serious. For over 40 years, the Iranian population has suffered under an Islamist rule that has caused the country today to be counted as one of the world's harshest and most dangerous dictatorships, with a complete lack of respect for fundamental freedoms and rights. Especially persons with deviating political views, women, and minorities are heavily exposed to the Iranian regime's systematic and state-subsidized abuses.

After the Iranian morality police's brutal murder of Jina Mahsa Amini, the largest popular protests since the Islamists seized power have reached levels that show that Iran's population is more than ready for change. The regime's response to this was, as usual, brutal abuses against oppositionists, including deadly violence against children and massacres.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard spares no means when they exercise their fanaticism. Bestial violence can be directed against anyone as long as it is considered to benefit them. Even though the IRGC is part of Iran's official military, they play a central role in the country's use of terrorism as a tool for the Iranian state. They plan, organize, and carry out terrorism all around the world. At the same time, they have created, supported, and controlled other terrorist groups throughout the world and assisted militarily, economically, and politically. They have, not least, a central role in suppressing the protests in Iran.

Mr. Speaker! There is no doubt that the IRGC has had a direct role in the serious violations of human rights, where we repeatedly see examples of murder, torture, and oppression. The definition of terrorism is clear. A terrorist organization uses acts of violence that are politically motivated and aim to influence society without regard for whether innocent people are affected. There is therefore no doubt that the IRGC engages in terrorism.

For that reason, it is no coincidence that other countries already today designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization. The strange thing in this context is that Sweden and the EU do not do so even when Swedish and European citizens are affected. It is therefore positive that there is now a majority in the committee for a declaration that Sweden shall create unity within the EU to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Thus, the Sverigedemokraterna's motion proposals are partially supported.

In this speech, Markus Wiechel (SD) agreed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Joar Forssell (L)

Mr. Speaker! Oh, how nice it is to be back! I have been on parental leave for half a year, so I have not been involved in discussing this matter. But it seems to have been discussed very well by my substitute. I must extend a thanks to Martin Melin, who has been here in my place.

Mr. Speaker! Democracy, the principles of the rule of law, free media, independent courts and so on are fundamentally the core of all foreign policy and should be. It is by conducting a values-based foreign policy that Sweden gains influence in the world and influence for the values that are important to us and for the world to be stable, peaceful and for human rights to be respected in the long run as well.

Mr. Speaker! There are very large problems in the world in these areas. There are problems also in Sweden, but there are very large problems out in the world. That is why we need to have a very active and values-driven foreign policy that does not back down when it is difficult, when other countries become angry and when other countries become upset or issue threats of various forms of sanctions from the world's regimes and dictatorships.

I am very pleased that we have finally taken action today regarding the terrorist classification of the IRGC. It is obvious that the Islamist dictatorship in Iran is perhaps the world's most brutal regime and dictatorship. We have heard it several times from the rostrum today, and it pleases me and all those who are listening that there is such enormous unity on this issue in the Swedish Riksdag.

I still want to emphasize that the threat that the Iranian regime poses to its own citizens, it also poses to citizens in other countries, including Sweden. It also poses toward its surrounding world. Such a brutal regime must be met with very tough measures and of course very tough sanctions, but also all the things that a terror classification enables.

It has taken time. It is not because I am back that we have finally reached the goal. I hope that we will gain even more momentum in the values-based foreign policy moving forward.

Another country that is addressed in the report and which, in our immediate surroundings, poses a very great threat to human rights is Russia. Russia is also to be regarded as a terror state. Russia is more or less to be regarded as a terrorist organization. Vladimir Putin is more or less to be regarded as a Russian Abu Bakr, as the leader of IS or Daish was called.

Russia is a threat to human rights not only in Ukraine, where it conducts its war of aggression and where it commits abuses, war crimes, and engages in purges every day, but also in all other parts of the world and also in Sweden and its immediate surroundings.

It is for that reason that our work for human rights in Russia, with support for the opposition and so on, must not waver. It is also for that reason that our work to ensure that Ukraine wins the war and that Russia loses the war must continue. It is about human rights. It is absolutely crucial that we who are democrats emerge victorious from this.

Mr. Speaker! Something that regimes in countries where people are oppressed, where there is dictatorship and where there is no democracy have in common is that there is a large and widespread oppression of LGBTQI persons. We in Sweden have a problem with the fact that there are politicians who question trans rights and do not want to implement reforms for strengthened intersex rights.

We have problems in Sweden in that we do not have sufficiently clear legislation when it comes to the discrimination of hbtqi persons and that we do not take sufficient measures against this. But out in the world and from several of the regimes mentioned in this report, systematic discrimination and persecution of and murder of hbtqi persons is everyday life.

It is clear that there must be a focus in Swedish foreign policy on ensuring that human rights are followed, ensuring that those who do not follow human rights are punished, and ensuring that hbtqi persons can live their lives in freedom.

Mr. Speaker! If Iran's dictatorship is the most brutal regime in the world, I want to assert that China is probably the most dangerous in the world. The Chinese dictatorship poses a threat every day to everyone who is for democracy and human rights in the entire world. China poses a direct threat to our democratic system here today and perhaps even more in the long run.

Internally in China, people are persecuted every day. But it is also the case that China threatens violence and war crimes against other countries. This applies to Taiwan, for example. Minorities are persecuted, violated, disappear, and are murdered in China every day. Xinjiang and Tibet are specifically mentioned in the report. But it applies to many more, of course.

Mr. Speaker! From that perspective, it is important for human rights that Sweden clearly stands behind Taiwan. Taiwan is the guarantor of democracy and human rights in that part of the world. It is also an example that shows that it is possible to have democracy. It means a source of inspiration for so many who fight for this and clearly for human rights.

Another country that is clearly a role model when it comes to democracy and human rights in its part of the world is Israel. This year, Mr. Speaker, it is 75 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was presented. It is no coincidence that it is also 75 years since Israel had its declaration of independence.

Everyone understands the historical reasons why it is not a coincidence. But it also holds true today. Even today, it is Israel that, in its part of the world, most clearly, most, and quite often alone, constitutes an oasis for human rights and democracy.

We can compare with China, which we spoke about just now. There, Christian minorities, Falun Gong followers, and Muslim minorities are persecuted. We are talking about Iran. We almost do not need to mention what crimes were committed there. We are talking about Russia. We do not need to mention what crimes were committed there.

In Israel's surroundings, one is the guarantor that it should be possible to have another religion. One should be able to have freedom of religion, and it should be possible to live in peace and freedom. That is why it is so important that our support from Sweden also reaches Israel. It is a guarantee against persecution also of various minorities.

Mr. Speaker! I would like to start by thanking you for my return to the Swedish Parliament's rostrum after my parental leave. I naturally move for approval of the committee's proposal in the report.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! It is clear that we must welcome Member Forssell back with a classic exchange of remarks!

I note that the member, in their speech, aligns with the feeling that it is finally happening. It is a feeling I share when it comes to the terror listing of the Revolutionary Guard. What I nevertheless wonder about is why the Liberals have actively opposed it being the Swedish line.

Just as the Sweden Democrats could have cast the deciding vote in the EU Committee before Christmas, the Liberals' vote in the EU Committee would also have been sufficient to achieve a different line. It is actually the EU Committee's decision that applies.

I therefore wonder how Member Forssell views the government's efforts during the chairmanship. The Foreign Minister has chosen not to pursue the issue of terrorist listing. One has chosen not to try to gather support for this. One does not think it has been a successful line.

How does the member view the Foreign Minister's and the government's actions in this matter, and also the Liberals' actions?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Joar Forssell (L)

Mr. Speaker! As the attentive listeners have noted, I have not myself been in the room when these discussions have taken place. I have been occupied with preschools and other, significantly less intellectual work – though perhaps equally important.

The answer to the question is quite simply that I cannot answer why the process has looked the way it has while I have been away. I know from conversations with my liberal colleagues that there has been pressure from the Liberals. This is an important issue for the Liberals. I do not believe it is unknown to anyone who cares about the issues surrounding Iran, the issues surrounding equality, and the issues surrounding human rights that the Liberals have actually always been proactive in these issues, also in this case.

I hope that we will be able to continue to have a constructive cooperation in the committee. Fundamentally, it is very good that we can now gather all together, all parties in the Swedish Riksdag, around this. I believe that those who listen to the debate will receive a clear message when so many of us stand behind this.

I also believe it is good if we can act in a similar way when it comes to other organizations, countries, and so on also in the future. There are organizations in Sweden that should be classified as terrorist, for example NMR. I called Russia a terror state in my speech. There is, therefore, quite a lot to work on when it comes to this area.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! I fully agree that it is a strength that we are now united. I am enormously pleased by that.

But it is still very consistent from the Liberals' side that one is happy to stand here in the speaker's chair and talk about being in favor of a terror listing, and one is happy to stand at demonstrations and talk about the same thing. But when it actually matters, when it comes to the decisions and when it is decided – then one backs down.

I can tell you, Joar Forssell, who has been away, that as recently as March we received a majority in the committee that was clear and stated that the committee considers that the government should work towards a terror listing. But even then, the Liberals did not stand behind this, even though there was a majority. Even then, they went against the decision and had a reservation.

It is interesting that it is one language when we gather outwardly and another when we see each other here. And one must keep in mind that if it had not been a majority in the committee, the government parties would not have taken this line today either, at least not based on how it sounded in the committee room.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Joar Forssell (L)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Alexandra Völker, for the exchange of remarks! It is always pleasant to be able to return to an exchange of remarks.

I really want to emphasize that the Liberals stand behind this, and I think that is good. I believe it is good that we have managed to reach an agreement on how it has been formulated and so on in the committee, and I believe that gives it strength.

One must say, however, that it is a bit funny when the Social Democrats talk about what one says outside and what one says in government. It is, after all, the Social Democrats' specialty to demonstrate against their own policy once a year and say one thing outside and be in opposition to themselves. That is the core of the image of the Social Democrats that I believe most Swedes have.

Mr. Speaker! With that said, I can promise my colleague in the committee that we will continue to pursue this line, and we will continue to do so with force. I hope that we can do it together, because I believe we have much to gain from jointly pursuing the policy against terror, whether it comes from terror organizations or from states.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Mr. Speaker! We have debated Iran many times in this chamber, especially during the last seven months since the murder of the young Kurdish woman Jina Mahsa Amini. The large Iranian diaspora in Sweden has repeatedly shown its great commitment, and in November, they filled the parliamentary gallery to the last seat when there was an interpellation debate on Iran. I know that some of these activists are also sitting in the gallery today and listening. I find that in itself impressive.

Mr. Speaker! Today these activists can feel a great victory, because today the Swedish Riksdag is in agreement that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, the most brutal part of the regime, should be designated as a terrorist organization under the EU's sanctions regime for terrorism. All parties in Sweden are now in agreement that the Swedish government, together with other governments, must push to create unity in the EU so that the sanctions regime can be implemented.

Some have suggested that this could be difficult. But the Iranian diaspora is not only strong in Sweden; it is strong in many European countries. They are tired of a regime that has forced them into exile and silenced their relatives. It is a regime that daily oppresses women and a regime that carries out torture, murder, and the death penalty against those who are of dissenting opinions. It is a regime that does not even allow dancing in public places.

Therefore, I am convinced that we will succeed one day, even in the EU. Until that day comes, we will continue to shout: Woman, life, freedom!

Mr. Speaker! On Monday, early voting opened at Älvsjömässan in Stockholm for everyone in Sweden who has Turkish citizenship. I was there on a visit. On Monday, the queues stretched for several hours despite rain and cold as people were to vote in the two – it is only two – booths that the Turkish state has set up.

The commitment is great, and it is clear that the election on May 14 can become a decisive point for Turkey and for its democracy. Opinion polls show that Erdogan is on his way to losing power and losing both the presidential election and the parliamentary election. At the same time, it is clear that he and AKP have no plans to give up without resistance. Last week, 125 opposition representatives were arrested. They are politicians, journalists, lawyers, and cultural workers who are arrested precisely because they are resisting an authoritarian despot - Erdogan.

Turkey is not a democracy, and the election is not free and fair. Nevertheless, the election can become the people's way of putting an end to Erdogan's rule. But it requires that the rest of the world participates and follows the developments in Turkey and, above all, speaks plainly about what Erdogan is doing.

It has been clear over the past year that this no longer applies to Sweden. During the election campaign, the Social Democrats' party leader, the then Prime Minister, did not know who HDP's former party leader Selahattin Demirtas was. When Tobias Billström became Foreign Minister, he called Turkey a democracy. Prime Minister Kristersson does not contradict Erdogan when, at their joint press conference, he names persons whom he wants deported from Sweden. So that is what it looks like when Swedish politicians crawl for Erdogan.

In the report we are now debating, it is somewhat better. It is stated that the committee assumes that the government continues to work actively on the issue that Selahattin Demirtas should be released immediately.

The following is stated in the opposition's joint reservation: "It has now been six years since HDP's party leader was imprisoned." It continues: "We note that a majority of HDP members of parliament and mayors are deprived of their liberty and thousands of others are also imprisoned for the sake of their opinions." Furthermore, it is written: "We therefore wish to emphasize our view that Sweden should act for the release of Selahattin Demirtas and other political prisoners in Turkey."

We are now entering some decisive weeks. The groveling for Erdogan must now end. It is only with a victory for the opposition that democracy in Turkey has a chance to be restored. Therefore, the Swedish government must now stop groveling for Erdogan and instead stand up for democracy and human rights in Turkey.

In this report on human rights, we also address a number of the demands that Vänsterpartiet had in our motion on Russia last autumn. Vladimir Putin has now ruled Russia for over 20 years, and during his time in power, the country has become increasingly undemocratic. In the years after the fall of the Soviet Union, there was some kind of hope for a different Russia. But today we see a reactionary, conservative, and patriarchal rule that oppresses dissidents and human rights defenders, acts aggressively against its neighboring countries, and plays a destabilizing role in world politics.

The authoritarian development has culminated in Russia's unjust war of aggression against Ukraine. In violation of international law, Putin chose to attack Ukraine militarily on 24 February 2022.

Russia has thus shown that it is a real security threat to its surroundings. Countries such as Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and the countries in Central Asia have long been forced to contend with Russian imperialist policy and the risk of Russian aggressions. But Putin's regime is also a threat to all those inhabitants who oppose the rule or who do not fit into the society that Putin wants to build. For Russian LGBTQI people, feminists, indigenous rights advocates, environmental movements and left-wing activists, the regime itself is a daily security threat.

At the same time, it is important that we manage to see that the Russian population is not responsible for Putin's war. We must emphasize the importance of providing support to all brave human rights defenders and Russian oppositionists in their work and, if there is a need, providing them with asylum here in Sweden. Sweden needs to be a clear and consistent voice for democracy, international law, and human rights in our relations with Russia, even if they are not so extensive at the moment.

Vänsterpartiet has nine reservations today. I would like to move for approval of reservation number 5, but above all, I would like to move for approval of the committee's proposal for announcement regarding Iran, which today is a great and important victory for Sweden's Riksdag.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Mr. Speaker! The Declaration of Human Rights, which was mentioned earlier and is now turning 75 years old, deserves increased attention from all of us who believe that human rights are universal and mutually reinforcing. We see how they are constantly undermined in the world today. The authoritarian wave sweeping across the world naturally has devastating consequences for human rights.

70 percent of the world's population live under authoritarian rule, and it is clear that it takes a toll. It affects women, it affects LGBTQI people, it affects journalists, it affects human rights defenders, it affects minority groups and it affects political dissidents. The power of authoritarian leaders must not be disturbed, according to their view, and they are prepared to use the methods at their disposal.

Unfortunately, they also receive support in many instances from two countries that sit in the Security Council: Russia and China. We have seen how Russia has been a leader for many countries that have joined the authoritarian wave that has swept across our part of the world and also many of the countries that we have cooperated with for a long time, not least when it comes to aid. The list can be long today.

In the consideration, we focus on some of these issues. We start by highlighting Iran.

It is about that human rights are women's rights are human rights. It is not all countries, all leaders and all men who consider that is the case. They consider that human rights are men's. It was one of the fights one had to take to reach the declaration 75 years ago.

When we see what is happening in Afghanistan today, it is a picture of where one wants to go in extreme cases. We have seen it in other countries. That is why it was so incredibly powerful when the women in Iran rose up as one woman to say: Enough now! What happened to Jina Mahsa Amini must not happen to any more of us!

The leadership that the women in Iran have taken is strong, important, and worthy of our support. I agree: The image of woman, life, freedom is a message for Iran but also for many other countries, for the women in Afghanistan and for others to follow and see. It is a fight that is incredibly important. It is a fight for our human rights and of course also for their human rights.

Mr. Speaker! Equality is both a goal and a prerequisite for eradicating poverty and oppression. As we state in the report, women's and girls' equal right to political influence, decision-making, economic empowerment, sexual and reproductive health - and rights, not to forget -, freedom from violence and the right to peace and security is fundamental. It is about a tomorrow where human rights for all are respected.

When we have taken a stand on women, life, freedom, we have demanded during the autumn that the IRGC be blacklisted and that Iran should be put on the agenda for the Foreign Affairs Council. It has gone once, it has gone twice, it has gone three times, it has gone four times, it has gone five times, it has gone six times and it has gone seven times, but only once has the discussion been brought up so that opinions could be expressed.

One can try to argue that unity is central, and unity is important in the EU. But in order to reach unity in important issues, some must also push forward and lead the way. I share the assessment: Had we in the autumn been able to gather a majority in the EU Committee for a position on terror listing, we would be further ahead today. I regret that it was not possible then, but I am glad that we, let me say, after seven sorrows and eight woes, were nevertheless able to land jointly in the Foreign Affairs Committee on a proposal for an announcement regarding the IRGC. Naturally, we will follow up moving forward on how efforts are made for that terror listing.

Mr. Speaker! There are many points in the report that could be highlighted, but I must also highlight Russia further.

There are elections in September, regional elections, and elections in March next year, presidential elections. We know that they are not fair elections there either, as in many other countries. The opposition is arrested, imprisoned, and silenced, whether they are journalists, authors, or political opponents. We know that they are also killed if they do not do as Putin says.

The pressure that has been so intense has also become even worse since the war of aggression against Ukraine started on February 24 last year. That pressure means that one cannot foresee at all that there will be an election that can be considered free or even remotely fair as we approach it.

It is obvious that Russia is not a functioning rule of law state today. It is political judgments and corruption that prevail. When Kara-Murza has now been sentenced to 25 years in prison for having said that Russia is at war in Ukraine and that it should be ended, it says something about Putin's rule. There we must stand up! Magnitsky sanctions now!

I am pleased that we have support for our motion regarding the demand for the release of Kara-Murza. I will move for approval of reservation 7 under point 4. It is important that we raise that issue. Sweden can do more.

Sweden can also do more regarding China and Hong Kong. It is clear that Hong Kong today is part of the Communist Party's rule. It is something we must draw conclusions from. We must not repeat the mistakes we made regarding Georgia and the war that Russia started in 2008.

We must dare to react and act when we see clear abuses. That is how it begins, with abuses against journalists, against human rights, against women, and against functioning justice systems. Following this are abuses against people, for example in Hong Kong but also against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. I very recently met someone who had been part of a camp in Xinjiang and who clearly described it and said: Do not forget what is happening. It is still happening today. It is ongoing now. Do not forget. And make demands!

Even there, sanctions would be needed more than statements to show that we mean what we say.

Mr. Speaker! I am also glad that we share a common view regarding Turkey and the release of political prisoners there.

I naturally stand behind all our reservations, but I have only moved for approval of one today.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jacob Risberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away - or at least a few miles away and in several places around on our own planet, different people are fighting for the right to self-determination, the right to democracy and the right to life. They fight with the same conviction and determination as the Ewoks on the moon of Endor fight against the empire.

Human rights must, of course, apply regardless of gender, age, or whether one belongs to a minority or an indigenous people. They must apply regardless of language, faith, sexual orientation, or skin color. The UN Declaration of Human Rights is precisely universal. This means that they are equally valid regardless of whether one lives in Sweden, Turkey, or Western Sahara, regardless of whether one lives on Earth, on Tatooine, or in the outer territories.

Mr. Speaker! For a long time, we on earth have succeeded in working together to reduce diseases, poverty, and hunger. We have made great progress regarding the right to education, especially for girls, freedom of expression, maternal care, and sexual rights. And we have made progress with growing economies.

But in recent years, some trends have turned in the wrong direction. The Corona pandemic has led to increased poverty. An entire generation of children has missed years of education, and hunger has increased as a result of drought and crop failure in several places. And Russia's unprovoked and violation of international law attack on Ukraine, like the empire's attack on Alderaan, has led to higher food and energy prices globally and to sharp inflation, which has contributed to increased child poverty and growing inequalities even in Sweden.

As if these negative trends were not bad enough, we have seen that more and more regimes around the world have moved to the dark side and become increasingly authoritarian. It concerns restrictions regarding freedom of speech, LGBTQ+ rights, access to healthcare, and even access to education.

Now more than ever, it is required that we are a strong voice that stands up for human rights, humanitarian principles, and peaceful development. But instead, our government chooses to abandon our feminist foreign and development policy and cut and redirect the aid significantly. The remaining aid budget is largely redirected to our immediate vicinity and away from the long-term building of democratic societies around the world.

The global development goals agreed upon by the world's countries, particularly the goals on equality and peaceful and inclusive societies, risk being missed as grossly as we know the Empire's stormtroopers miss their targets, given the government's cuts and changed aid policy.

Mr. Speaker! In the committee, we often disagree on politics. And within foreign policy specifically, there are often discussions about nuances. But on one issue, we stand united today. I am very pleased about that. When it comes to Iran, its regime and the Revolutionary Guard, which sometimes even surpass The First Order in its cruelty and repression of the population, we are united in trying to achieve a consensus within the EU on a terror designation of the IRGC. It is an important step to be able to secure even more powerful sanctions that target precisely those individuals who are responsible for the situation in Iran.

Mr. Speaker! Since robots and droids are not welcome to deliver speeches from the Riksdag's rostrum, I was forced to ask C-3PO, or rather his cousin Chat GPT, to summarize the most important points before this debate. Here follows the droid version of my speech.

Mr. Speaker, listeners and the Republic's senators! Today we debate the Foreign Affairs Committee's report UU15 - a journey to distant galaxies, where Sweden's foreign policy struggles to uphold justice and freedom in a time of increasing tensions and threats.

Just as in Star Wars, we also face conflicts and threats from evil forces in our reality - from Russia's aggression against Ukraine to challenges in Africa and in other places in the world. But we cannot betray our allies, just as the Rebel Alliance could not betray each other when they faced the power of the evil Empire. We must cooperate together, with the EU and other countries, to strengthen our alliance and maintain peace and stability.

The report recommends that Sweden should be an active actor in the EU's sanctions regime against Russia, just as when the rebels went to war against the Empire. We must defend democratic principles and international law, and show that we will not back down from these values.

Just as the Jedi used the Force to fight the darkness, we must use our power and influence to help those who suffer in Africa and other parts of the world. The consideration emphasizes the importance of continuing to support development in Africa through humanitarian aid and economic cooperation, and it is a task that we must take on to build a more just and peaceful world.

We must also be brave and stand firm by our values, just as Luke Skywalker stood firm in his faith in the Force and fought against the evil Empire. The consideration calls for continuing to develop cooperation with both the USA and China, despite the challenges that exist. We must remain engaged in international affairs and try to build bridges between different countries and regions.

So let us stand united, just like the rebels, in our fight for justice and freedom. Let us fight against evil and take up the challenge of maintaining peace and stability in our world. Considering UU15 is our map, our light in the darkness, and we must follow it to ensure a safe and peaceful future. May the power be with us all.

That was all from the droid.

Mr. Speaker! I wanted to include something about how we might be misled into believing that it is Ulf Vader who rules our galaxy, but that we all know deep down that it is Emperor Åkesson who is pulling the strings. But my political expert thought that it was probably on the edge.

In any case - I obviously stand behind all of the Environment Party's reservations. But for the sake of time, I only motion for reservation 8. I have spoken.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Mr. Speaker! I will not enter into the Star Wars discussion, as I understand that I will fall flat there. But when it comes to aid, I wonder how the member views the question of working so that countries can become more self-sufficient, that economies can grow, and of course that women can run their businesses and earn their own money – for this is what our budget aims for.

Sweden is still, with our budget, one of the world's largest donors. It is important to remember. When I listen to the member's speech, it sounds as if Sweden is now not to give a single krona in aid. That is, of course, not true. This is not an aid debate, but I think it is important to emphasize that Sweden is one of the world's largest aid donors. We provide aid to the UN, which is prioritized, but also for disaster relief and so that countries can build up their economies.

Mr. Speaker! I hope that this direction is something that Jacob Risberg finds relevant and sees as important when it comes to the aid.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jacob Risberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I agree with much of what Margareta Cederfelt says. It is absolutely important to review what Sweden provides money for. We have received some signals from the government, and it will be interesting to see the large reform agenda regarding aid when it is presented. We have heard that a very large amount of the aid is to be focused on and moved to the neighboring area, especially Ukraine. This means that the money must be taken from somewhere else.

We have also heard that there should be a lot of focus on humanitarian aid. Humanitarian interventions are very important, but they also mean that a lot of money is taken from where the aid has the greatest long-term effect, that is, in the building up of democratic states and democratic organizations. If the money is not taken from the rest of the aid, where should it then be taken from now when so much is being cut and aid is moved from both Africa and Latin America over to our neighboring region?

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Margareta Cederfelt (M)

Mr. Speaker! That aid is being moved to Ukraine, I see as a matter of course. It is a country that is being bombed, which is in ruins and where people are suffering. We read reports from there that are difficult to take in and difficult to understand, but one thing is clear: Ukraine needs all the support that can be obtained today. It is not only about the military, even though it is important, but also about the humanitarian support. It is important today. It will be important tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. Here we, as a neighboring country, must help and also remember that Ukraine is defending its country, but they are also helping us defend our values, democracy and human rights.

Of course Ukraine deserves our support, and we must give it to them. That the map has been redrawn based on where the needs are greatest right now appears to me as obvious. It appears unfortunately extremely clear. It is enough to see the photos, the images, and the sequences.

Let me say that I, like so many others, have been to Ukraine, both before the war and during the war. I have seen photos from Kharkiv and do not recognize the city. It is devastated. It is in ruins. Ukraine needs help. Ukraine also needs help for the sake of its children. They are being kidnapped now by Russia. How will Ukraine get its children back? How will we support Ukraine in that work? It costs money, and we must be able to offer that.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jacob Risberg (MP)

Mr. Speaker! I want to assure the members that the Green Party, of course, stands behind all the support that Sweden can give to Ukraine. There is also a reason why the Green Party went out and said that we want to increase aid to a full 1.25 percent of GNI. Our long-term policy is to ensure that even more money is given in aid, precisely so that one does not have to move money from places where it is also needed. Right now, for example, a terrible famine is occurring on the Horn of Africa that affects not only millions but hundreds of millions of people. Given the new, high food prices all over the world, there is an enormous need.

We will definitely continue to support Ukraine as much as we can, but we must not forget that there is another world around us as well. The UN are major actors, and there, the Swedish core support will now be cut quite significantly by the government.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Fredrik Saweståhl (M)

Mr. Speaker! Foreign policy is an area where we perhaps do not have such large areas of conflict. I think now that I have listened to the debate that it has been fairly unanimous.

One of the areas where we are gladly in agreement is the rights of LGBTQI persons. Sweden is a country that has come relatively far regarding these issues. We may not be at the very forefront - this unfortunately appears from ILGA Europe's annual rainbow map, where we lost some positions during the previous government's mandate periods compared to previous top rankings. There is, therefore, more to be done here at home. We must fight against hate crimes and honor violence and resolve certain family issues, and there are health issues that need to be addressed. It is clear that the current, Moderate-led government will take steps forward in these areas.

Mr. Speaker! Despite the issues we have to handle here at home, Sweden is an example in the world. Our unity is an example in the world. Sweden has long been a strong voice for the rights of hbtqi persons. We stand up for the self-evident insight that the rights of hbtqi persons are human rights. We stand for it in our bilateral relations and in our multilateral collaborations, regardless of whether it is within Europe or globally.

Mr. Speaker! It is a strength that Sweden, regardless of government, has held this line for many years, and it is a line we continue to hold moving forward. Sweden shall be a clear voice and a friend in the world for hbtqi persons and allies who fight to decriminalize same-sex relations and stop discrimination, violence, hate, threats, and stigmatization. Individual by individual, soul by soul, we shall convince the world that hbtqi persons' rights are human rights and that hbtqi persons shall also be able to live free, safe, open lives and be themselves.

Mr. Speaker! The picture in the world is not unambiguous. Progress is being made, which is pleasing, but the road is still long, there are plenty of dark clouds and plenty of places where the development is negative. I will mention some positive examples: In South America, there has largely been a positive development over the last ten years. Others that have decriminalized same-sex relations in recent years are, for example, Taiwan, Singapore and a number of countries in the Caribbean - and, just two weeks ago, the Cook Islands. I had a bit of trouble finding them on the map, but they have done this and it was very good.

Nevertheless, same-sex relations remain illegal in 62 countries. This applies to large parts of Africa, virtually all of the Middle East - with the exception of Israel - many countries in Central Asia and a few others. Furthermore, a frightening development is occurring right now where Uganda and some other African countries are significantly tightening the penalties for same-sex relations. Uganda stands out with demands for the death penalty, which they also voted through for the second time this week. It is an almost dizzying thought in 2023, but still a reality for a long time in six of the world's countries that one can be subjected to the death penalty for same-sex relations.

There is also a strongly negative development in a number of other countries. Russia is a warning example where increasingly far-reaching restrictions of hbtqi persons' rights are being implemented and the lives of hbtqi persons are being increasingly constrained.

Even within the EU, there are countries that direct discrimination against hbtqi persons and where hbtqi persons are used as whipping boys in the debate. Hungary is a clear example, but such tendencies also exist in Poland, Slovakia and Romania.

If we expand the circle to Europe outside the EU, we can, for example, look at Serbia. There, there have been major problems in recent years. I myself participated in Europride last year. It could eventually be carried out with 7,500 riot police who shut down the city center when we were going to march. The spectators consisted of the riot police, a few people waving in a window including a very cute lady in her 80s and her dog. We appreciated that very much.

The church bells rang to warn the Serbs about the dangerous homosexual people, the LGBTQI people, who were walking on the street. It was a surreal experience, and this is a country that is not so far away. There is much to be done in the area.

We have all certainly noted the increasingly polarized and, in the name of honesty, somewhat hysterical debate taking place in parts of the USA. This applies in particular to the question of trans people or drag queens. Here, one must also count in drag kings, even if they seem to be less controversial. One holds one's forehead.

Mr. Speaker! Questions regarding sexual orientation and gender identity are unfortunately still controversial in many contexts. An increased polarization is evident. Therefore, the government and we together as a country will counter every attempt from certain actors to restrict hbtqi persons' enjoyment of human rights or to reinforce stereotypical gender roles.

In the government's foreign policy declaration for 2023, it is emphasized that every individual's equal value regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation or religion is a matter of freedom. With that as a foundation, we can continue to be a powerful voice for the equal value and rights of hbtqi persons in foreign policy, aid policy and in all other relevant contexts, and we shall take that responsibility.

Sweden does not stand alone. We have allies. Alone and together with like-minded countries, we can work for change and for an improved situation for the rights of hbtqi persons worldwide. One example, Mr. Speaker, is the work that has been undertaken during the Swedish presidency in the EU where commitment has been placed on equality and non-discrimination – our and the EU's fundamental values. Sweden shall continue forward and give clear support to the Commission's work with the implementation of the equality strategy for hbtqi persons which applies until 2025. There we have come halfway, which was reported at a conference in Arlanda city recently.

We shall also, Mr. Speaker, direct special attention to the worrying trend in parts of the EU and many other countries with an increasing number of incidents targeted at LGBTQI persons, not least trans persons, for example through attacks against public events.

Sweden shall also continue to work within the UN and stand behind the important work that the UN's independent expert in the field performs. LGBTQI issues shall furthermore be included in our aid policy and our work for development in the world.

Mr. Speaker! We shall stand upright, and we shall be crystal clear. Sweden's message is firm: Hbtqi people's rights are human rights. Period!

(Applause)

In this speech, Kerstin Lundgren (C) agreed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Markus Wiechel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! This motion report deals, as is known, with a long series of very important issues regarding human rights, democracy, and the principles of the rule of law. It thus concerns a long series of issues where the Sweden Democrats have had a very great commitment.

Against the background of Rasmus Giertz having previously set out the main features of the Sweden Democrats' policy in a meritorious manner, in the report I will focus specifically on one issue. It is not entirely unexpected: Iran.

Mr. Speaker! Finally - one must say - all parties stand united in the matter of working towards a terror listing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, IRGC. This means that the Riksdag will approve a Sverigedemokratisk motion.

There are few questions where it should be so obvious as in this case. The definition of terrorism is, in fact, very clear. A terrorist organization uses acts of violence that are politically motivated and aim to influence society or politics without regard for whether innocent people are affected. That the IRGC engages in terrorism is, in other words, crystal clear.

For over 40 years, Iran's population has suffered under an Islamist rule that has made the country today count as one of the most brutal and harsh dictatorships in the world. The result of the 1979 revolution was, in other words, a country characterized by oppression. The backbone and that which truly maintains this oppression is the IRGC. It is an organization that permeates the entire Iranian society, from the top to the absolute power. IRGC is everywhere.

Mr. Speaker! The IRGC is not just any organization, and there is extensive documentation showing what they are involved in. We see torture in the form of beatings, lashings, mock executions, sexual violence, and so on. This torture, in combination with the Iranian judiciary's notorious brutality, has shown what these methods do to people. It has created a distinct culture of silence that today characterizes the entire Iranian society, both inside and outside the Iranian borders. This has contributed to the mullahs being able to maintain power in Iran, despite enormous popular resistance.

In addition, we can count IRGC's various activities abroad. They engage in everything from mapping of dissidents to other gross forms of clandestine activities, such as planning, organizing and carrying out terrorist actions abroad.

Mr. Speaker! Those who have followed me over the recent years know that I have a long but also broad commitment to this issue. I know that other members also have a strong interest in it. In the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for example, we have Håkan Svenneling, who just now participated in the debate. There are several. I truly appreciate the commitment, and I am pleased that the commitment and interest have grown and that more and more members have chosen to stand behind the demands that, among others, we have set for a significantly tougher Iran policy.

At the same time, Mr. Speaker, I become desperate when the same members or parties who now claim to have a tougher line do not follow through on what they have said. We see that the reins never seem to be loosened.

What am I talking about then? I had an exchange of remarks earlier today. In the government position, the Social Democrats stood out for having perhaps Europe's lamest stance, if I may say so, towards the Iranian oppressive regime. I mentioned a few examples. The Social Democrats sent a veiled delegation to Iran to conduct trade and create trade cooperation with the oppressive state. One party protested loudly against this. It was the Sverigedemokraterna.

We saw how the Social Democrats welcomed the Islamist and Iran's former foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to Stockholm. Once again, it was a party that, during a public inquiry, put him on the spot. It was the Sweden Democrats through the undersigned and Ludvig Aspling. Otherwise, it was almost silent.

Last but not least, I want to bring up what I did not receive any answer on from the Social Democrats' representative. It concerned the fact that Ann Linde celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, that is to say 40 years of oppression. I do not need to say more about what we thought about this.

There are a number of more examples, but we can leave them for the time being.

Mr. Speaker! I am not actually supposed to talk history. I share the view that what happened a few years ago does not play a major role. The main point is what one stands for today and what one wants to do moving forward. But it is still very telling how a party completely changes its opinion on an important issue - in my world such a self-evident issue - directly after having left power after having sat in power for eight years and having done nothing. Suddenly, one acts in a directly opposite way to how one has acted previously.

It simply becomes a question of credibility. I firmly mean that the Social Democrats are not credible in this issue. But no one will be happier than I if they can disprove me.

As late as in the autumn, I sought support from the Moderaterna and Socialdemokraterna to obtain signatures within the framework of the work in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to urge the member states and the member states' parliamentarians to blacklist the IRGC – the issue that we are addressing here today. I received support from the Moderaterna, but I did not receive support from the Socialdemokraterna, who therefore did not co-sign this. This was thus a declaration and a motion that received support from a long row of parliamentarians from several different countries and from party representatives from different party groups.

Mr. Speaker! I am truly pleased to see that things look different here in the Swedish Riksdag and that the Social Democrats are joining the Sverigedemokraterna's motion. I hope that this will lead to something positive. I would, however, with this contribution, directly urge the Social Democrats to follow through on their newly found Iran policy. You do that best by supporting our struggle for the Iranian people and against the oppressive state elsewhere, for example in international delegations. Show that your new Iran policy is for real!

With this said, Mr. Speaker, I would like to move for approval of reservation 10. I also, of course, stand behind the other SD reservations.

In this speech, Rasmus Giertz (SD) agreed.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! The hour is late, and the next group is waiting to go on. But it is clear that I finally felt that I had to respond to Member Wiechel's claims.

It is interesting with the Sweden Democrats. You are always such good Samaritans who stand up for humanity. You spoke about turning your coat with the wind and quickly changing your position. The member spoke about the Sweden Democrats' history of standing up for and having long wanted to have a terror list.

But why then have you not acted when you have had the chance? You are actually the party that the entire government pact rests on. You have the opportunity to cast the deciding vote in Sweden's Riksdag. That is not how I would want it to be, but that is how it is today. You could have ensured that this became actual politics in December!

The chairman can stand here as much as he wants and talk about taking action. But that is really not what the Sverigedemokraterna have done. Those who have pushed on in this issue, all spring, are instead the united opposition with the Socialdemokraterna.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Markus Wiechel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Now, the fact is that we have discussed this issue previously. I was present at the meeting that the member refers to. The member was not.

The fact is that what we in particular pushed for within the framework of the government cooperation was that Sweden should take a tough stance towards the Iranian regime. There was also a writing about working for the toughest possible measures against the Iranian regime and against the IRGC. It cannot be any clearer than that.

That some in the EU Committee then wanted a compromise-free wording, which might have paralyzed all this work, is their own responsibility. I do not know in what way that would have benefited this endeavor. We pushed for the toughest possible measures against the IRGC. I stand by that, and I am very proud of it.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Alexandra Völker (S)

Mr. Speaker! It could not be clearer - what about giving the government a clear requirement to try to gather support to blacklist the revolutionary guard, which we are actually making a decision on here on Wednesday? That is what we wanted. Can it be any clearer than that?

The toughest possible line – could it be any clearer? All spring we have followed the various reports from the EU regarding the government's actions and what that has meant. We have thought that the government has judged that it is not relevant to act for a terror listing. When we have asked whether one is actually trying to gather support for that issue, the straight answer has been no.

It became the effect of your toughest possible line. It could have been clearer. It could have been harder if one had actually followed the line to give the mandate and the clear requirement to push for a terror listing.

Human rights

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Markus Wiechel (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Once again, the fact that it turned out as it did in the EU Committee is in no way about not pushing for a terror listing. Everyone, including the government, was in agreement and wanted to push for this.

Then it was the case that parts of the opposition had an uncompromising line which, given that there was no consensus within the EU, risked paralyzing the entire work for tough measures.

Given the Social Democrats' track record on the Iran issue, where they have had the almost lamest policy in all of Europe towards the Iranian villain regime, I think, as I said, it is a bit stomach-turning that this comes from a Social Democrat. I have brought up a long series of examples, and the member has still not answered whether she stands behind or backs away from Ann Linde's participation in this celebration or if she backs away from the Social Democrats' Iran policy during the last parliamentary term.

She has not been able to answer, and I understand her. I would not have wanted to answer that question either.

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(A decision was to be taken on 10 May.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)