Response to interpellation 2022/23:377 on gas attacks against schoolgirls in Iran
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
M views the situation for human rights in Iran with the utmost seriousness and has strongly condemned the authorities' violations 1 2. M believes that Sweden has acted within the UN and EU to increase political pressure on Iran, including by supporting an independent investigation mechanism that shall also investigate gas attacks 1 2. M emphasizes that Sweden has been proactive for a tougher Iran policy and new sanctions within the EU 3. M considers that critical dialogue with Iran is important to communicate values, provide support to the Iranian people, counter nuclear proliferation and handle consular matters 4. V believes that the Foreign Minister should be clearer and sharper in their position regarding the poison attacks against schoolgirls 5. V wants Sweden in the EU and UN to drive the issue of an independent UN-led investigation 6. V hopes that the government continues to focus on the expert group and clearly raise the issue of the gas attacks 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! Lotta Johnsson Fornarve has asked me in what way the government has acted in the issue of the gas attacks on Iranian schoolgirls. Furthermore, she has asked if I am pushing for an independent UN investigation of the attacks. She has also asked in what way Sweden is working to put pressure on the Iranian regime to protect all girls from violence and ensure their right to education and if I intend to condemn the attacks against Iranian schoolgirls.
Different accounts have circulated regarding gas attacks at Iranian educational institutions, in the media, in reports from civil society organizations, and also from Iranian representatives, concerning among other things the extent and the perpetrators. Primarily girls are said to have been affected. The information is very worrying, but at the same time sparse, and sometimes contradictory.
The Iranian authorities have indeed appointed a so-called parliamentary committee to investigate the events, but so far without credible conclusions or accountability.
As I have repeatedly stated here in the chamber and in other contexts, the government views the situation for human rights in Iran with the utmost seriousness. It remains very worrying. In light of the developments over the past year, the government has strongly condemned the Iranian authorities' violations of human rights both in statements and in direct talks with Iranian representatives. I will continue to raise the HR situation with my Iranian counterpart.
Sweden has also acted within both the UN and the EU to increase the political pressure on Iran and provide international support for the population's legitimate demands for respect for human rights.
Within the UN, Sweden has worked to increase the focus on the situation in Iran, not least for women and girls. In November 2022, Sweden supported the UN Human Rights Council holding a special session with a focus on accountability for Mahsa Jina Aminis death and the violence and abuses in Iran. At the meeting, the council decided to establish an independent fact-finding mission to investigate Iran's actions in connection with the protests. The experts involved provided an oral update at the session with the UN Human Rights Council that took place in June and July in Geneva.
The UN General Assembly adopted the annual resolution on the human rights situation in Iran in November 2022. Within the framework of EU coordination, Sweden has actively worked for clear wording, which among other things condemns the violence against protesters in demonstrations where women and girls have taken a leading role. In December 2022, Iran was expelled from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, which Sweden welcomed. Sweden and the EU also support the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran, who has a specific mandate to monitor the HR development.
Within the EU, the government's direction has consistently been that Sweden, particularly during our rotating presidency in the Council, shall work for the most powerful possible line against the Iranian regime's oppression, within the framework of EU unity. Since the protests broke out nearly a year ago, Iran has been one of the countries that has been raised on the most occasions when the EU's foreign ministers convened in the Council for Foreign Affairs. In December, Council conclusions were adopted which were a clear signal from the EU's side regarding a sharpened Iran policy. The EU has also taken powerful measures, including by expanding the sanctions against Iran at every such Council meeting, consisting of, among other things, entry bans and freezing of assets in the EU. The sanction lists include a number of Iranian actors who have been involved in human rights violations. Within the EU, we continuously review which tools are most effective for maintaining the pressure on Iran, including additional sanctions, with the aim of influencing the situation for the better, not least for the Iranian women and girls.
Lotta Johnsson Fornarve (V)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the answer to my interpellation regarding poison attacks against schoolgirls in Iran!
The answer is in many parts positive and good, and I truly welcome what the government has done regarding the situation in Iran and the measures that have been taken. But I believe that the Foreign Minister could have been significantly clearer and sharper in his position regarding the poison attacks against schoolgirls, which is what the interpellation is about.
I wrote the interpellation before the summer. Since then, a lot has happened. We see that there is no longer the same focus on the situation of girls and women in Iran. But that does not mean that we can lean back. Sweden and the rest of the world must continue to stand up in a very clear way for the rights of girls and women in Iran and for democracy and human rights.
There is no doubt whatsoever that the poison attacks have actually taken place and affected thousands and thousands of young schoolgirls. It is something that a number of independent sources and media testify to, such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
Since the end of last year, international media have reported on how girls in Iran have been subjected to attacks with toxic gas in school. The first attack took place on November 30 in the city of Qom. At that time, 18 girls were poisoned. Since then, thousands and thousands more girls have been subjected to it, many of whom have been forced to seek hospital treatment.
According to Amnesty International, it is reported that over 300 attacks have occurred and 13,000 girls have been forced to seek hospital treatment as a result of the poison attacks. The authorities in Iran have refused to confirm the information. On the contrary, the authorities have rather underestimated the severity and extent of the attacks. Schoolgirls' symptoms have been dismissed as stress, bad behavior, or as mental contagion. The gas poisonings have caused coughing, breathing difficulties, palpitations, headaches, nausea, and loss of sensation in legs and arms.
Schoolgirls in Iran have shown immense courage and led the protest actions that began in September last year when 22-year-old Jina Mahsa Amini died after being assaulted by the morality police for wearing the veil incorrectly. It was something that led to mass protests around the country and in the rest of the world. Schoolgirls showed their support for the demonstrators, among other things, by taking off their headscarves in school. The purpose of the poison attacks is clear. It is about revenge for the girls' engagement and about preventing schoolgirls from going to school.
The Iranian regime has arrested a number of suspects, but they have failed to investigate the attacks seriously. The attacks are a serious threat to millions of Iranian girls' right to education and health. Those responsible must be held accountable. The girls must get justice.
In what way is Sweden working to put pressure on the Iranian regime to protect girls from violence and ensure their right to education? Does the Minister for Foreign Affairs intend to strongly push for the issue of an independent investigation in the UN regarding the poison attacks against schoolgirls in Iran? And does the Minister for Foreign Affairs intend to strongly condemn the attacks against Iranian schoolgirls?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! I fully share the interpellant's concern regarding the gas attacks on schoolgirls in Iran. Even though the circumstances remain unclear, it is important that the international community continues to closely monitor this as well as the general situation for human rights in Iran.
The large demonstrations that we saw spreading after Mahsa Jina Aminis death last year have shown the depth of the population's dissatisfaction with the conditions in the country. Women and girls played a leading role, and Iranian authorities responded with violent repression. Several people have been executed for actions linked to the protests, several risk being sentenced to death, and many thousands are deprived of their liberty. Even though the protests have subsided, the dissatisfaction remains.
Sweden continues to do everything we can to contribute to a strong international pressure that supports the Iranian people's legitimate demands for respect for human rights and clearly marks that Iran's actions have international consequences.
The interpellator asks in what way Sweden does this. The EU is our most important platform. Since the protests began last autumn, the EU has acted resolutely and consistently tightened its Iran policy. Like myself, the EU has with full force condemned Iran's actions. The situation in Iran has, since the protests began in September 2022, been raised in almost all of the EU's foreign ministers' meetings. Sweden is one of the countries that has maintained the importance of Iran remaining on the agenda when the EU's foreign ministers meet.
In December last year, new Council conclusions regarding Iran were adopted – a comprehensive document that clearly establishes the EU's common view on the developments and on the relationship with Iran. The Council conclusions imply a clear tightening of our policy towards Iran and constitute a good basis for the EU's continued actions, and Sweden has been proactive in this work.
Sanctions are a central tool in our and the EU's policy towards Iran. New sanction packages under the EU's sanctions regime against human rights violations in Iran have been adopted by the EU in October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June and July. Sweden continues to actively contribute to the discussion within the EU as a member state and previously in the role of EU Presidency towards the most powerful possible EU action.
Continued EU unity behind our measures is central. The EU must act with united force for maximum impact in this matter. This is an important starting point for our actions, but it does not prevent us from actively contributing to sharp measures against Iran.
Lotta Johnsson Fornarve (V)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the clarification! I am very pleased that the Minister for Foreign Affairs shares my concern and says that Sweden will follow the situation in Iran very closely and work for this in the EU with stricter sanctions and other such things that I think are very important.
But I still do not hear anything about pushing for an independent investigation in the UN regarding the poison attacks. I also do not hear a clear distancing and condemnation of precisely the poison attacks, which is what the interpellation is about. I would like the minister to clarify that.
The attacks must be seen against the background of the events that began when 22-year-old Mahsa Jina Amini died after being assaulted in detention for wearing the veil incorrectly. This led to mass protests both in Iran and in the rest of the world, and the protesters demanded that the regime resign.
The protests were about so much more than just the right to dress as one wishes. The event was a spark that ignited a fire among the Iranian people, who have for too long been denied basic democratic and human rights. Thousands of demonstrators were arrested, hundreds were killed, and many have even been executed as a result of the demonstrations.
The morality police withdrew temporarily, but now we see again how they patrol the streets of Tehran. We no longer see the large demonstrations and protests, because it has simply become too dangerous to demonstrate. But the protests have not stopped, they are instead taking new forms.
It is incredibly important that Sweden and the rest of the world continue to stand up for the rights of women and girls, for democracy and for human rights in Iran. All those thousands of young schoolgirls who have so bravely stood up for their rights must not have fought in vain. All those thousands of young schoolgirls who were subjected to the brutal poison attacks must receive justice. This is about children who have been subjected to a brutal assault. We must ensure that the schoolgirls are guaranteed continued schooling. We know how important schooling is, especially for girls in a country like Iran.
According to Amnesty, the authorities have, among other things, withheld information about the poison attacks, and they have not taken sufficiently strong measures to protect the children. Protests from, among others, the teachers' union have been met with violence, pepper spray, and tear gas. Demonstrators and journalists have been imprisoned. There are also suspicions that the Iranian legislation which discriminates against and demeans women encourages the perpetrators to take the law into their own hands. There are most likely links to Iranian authorities behind the poison attacks.
From several sides, voices have been raised for an independent investigation by the UN. I mean that Sweden in the EU and in the UN should act so that more countries join to get a UN-led investigation of the poison attacks against schoolgirls. It would focus the issue in a clear way and increase the pressure on the Iranian regime.
Is the minister prepared to raise the issue in the UN and the EU regarding a UN-led investigation into the poison attack against the schoolgirls? And is the minister prepared to clearly condemn the poison attacks?
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! As I pointed out in my response, Sweden has acted in several ways within the UN regarding the situation for human rights in Iran, including women's and girls' full enjoyment of human rights.
The independent fact-finding mission, which was established to investigate Iran's actions in connection with the protests, at the special session of the UN Human Rights Council on 24 November 2022, which Sweden, among others, requested, is an important actor in the context.
Sweden, together with the other Nordic and Baltic countries, expressed during the meeting our strong support for this mechanism, which consists of a group of independent experts. The EU was also proactive in the matter during the special session of the Council where the decision on the investigation mechanism was made.
The expert group is therefore an important tool for internationally supporting accountability. During the summer, it provided an oral update at a session of the UN Human Rights Council which began in June in Geneva. It was stated there that the group intends to investigate the issue of gas attacks as part of its mandate. We welcome this and will follow and support the group's work.
As I mentioned in my response, the Iranian authorities have indeed appointed a so-called parliamentary committee to investigate the events, but so far it has been without credible conclusions or accountability.
The expert group is collaborating with Javaid Rehman, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran. Rehman presented his latest report on the situation in Iran at the UN Human Rights Council session earlier this year. Furthermore, the Special Rapporteur's mandate was extended by one year in a resolution that contained strong condemnations of the serious human rights violations in Iran that we have seen. Sweden and other EU countries supported the resolution.
Sweden supports Javaid Rehman's important work. In March, Rehman, together with among others the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed, condemned the Iranian state's inability to protect schoolgirls from gas attacks and to promptly conduct investigations.
As I said in my previous remark, just like the EU, I have condemned Iran's actions with full force, and I intend to continue to do so.
Lotta Johnsson Fornarve (V)
Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Minister, for the continued answer! I truly agree on how important this expert group is, of course, and hope that the government will continue to focus on ensuring that it reaches a result. I also hope that we will continue to raise the issue of the gas attacks against schoolgirls in a clear way so that we can truly investigate what happened in that matter. Thousands and thousands more young schoolgirls have become victims of poison attacks in Iran, and it must not be silenced and forgotten.
The perpetrators want to punish the students for peaceful resistance: Across the country, these have opposed strict dress codes by removing their headscarves in public places, such as in schools. The gas attacks are a threat to the schoolgirls' health and future. They destroy children's opportunities for equal and safe schooling. It is therefore incredibly important that we go into depth on this and do not give up. We must continue to push until we truly get answers and those responsible are held accountable, so that this does not continue and is silenced.
Sweden and the rest of the world cannot stand by while girls' and women's rights continue to be violated every day in one of the world's harshest dictatorships. We must continue to stand up for girls' and women's rights in Iran and for democracy and human rights every day. Even if we no longer see these large protests on the streets, the protests continue in another way, and we must truly stand behind the Iranian people's struggle for democracy and human rights, not least girls' and women's.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Mr. Speaker! There is a broad consensus within the EU regarding the importance of continued critical dialogue with Iran. Through critical dialogue, we can communicate our values and provide support to the Iranian people, who would not benefit from further isolation of the country.
Sweden and the rest of the EU also need the critical dialogue in order to be able to counter the risk of regional nuclear proliferation and to be able to act in difficult consular cases involving EU citizens, including Swedes, who are deprived of their liberty in Iran.
I also want to bring up Iran's execution of the Swedish-Iranian citizen Habib Chaab in May this year. We view the execution with the utmost seriousness, which naturally affects the bilateral relationship negatively. It was with shock that we received the news, and I immediately condemned the execution. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs called the Iranian ambassador to protest, and Sweden's ambassador in Tehran also conveyed protests. A unanimous EU statement also condemned the execution.
We continue to raise the situation for human rights in direct contacts with Iran. In coordination with other EU states, we have also called the Iranian ambassador to in this way signal when Iran has escalated the repression. Measures are also taken through our embassy in Tehran, both in its national capacity and earlier this year, during the EU presidency, as the local coordinator of the EU's membership circle.
The government is therefore continuing tirelessly to work through all appropriate platforms to maintain pressure on Iran bilaterally, through the EU, and in the UN. I thank the interpellor very much for the opportunity to elaborate on the government's Iran policy here in the chamber today.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.