Response to interpellation 2022/23:55 on measures against Iran

Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)

Madam Speaker! Alexandra Völker has asked me whether the government will produce a new updated Iran policy to meet the Iranian people's desire to live in a country free from oppression and fundamentalism. Furthermore, she asks whether I, during Sweden's presidency of the EU, will act actively to update the EU's Iran policy and what measures and demands Sweden will push for in the UN. She asks whether I will work to expand the sanctions against the regime's representatives and their relatives through frozen assets and entry bans. Finally, she has asked me whether it is the government's intention to summon Iran's ambassador to clearly condemn the violence.

With reference to previous interpellations and debates - the interpellations 2022/23:8, 2022/23:16, 2022/23:21 and 2022/23:44 - I want to once again emphasize that the government views the developments in Iran with the utmost seriousness. We have strongly condemned the violence and are acting bilaterally as well as within the EU and the UN to contribute to international pressure, both in support of the demands for human rights and against the brutal and deadly violence that Iranian authorities have committed. The government condemns that Iran has executed two people for actions linked to the ongoing protests. Sweden and the EU have a very clear and common line on the issue of the death penalty, which we always, everywhere and regardless of circumstances, oppose.

Sweden's view on the developments and the demand that the violence must cease has been clearly expressed both publicly and in direct talks with Iranian representatives, including at the ministerial level. I conveyed this directly to Iran's Foreign Minister in a conversation on November 11. UD has frequent contacts with the Iranian ambassador where a number of issues are raised, including Sweden's view on the ongoing developments in Iran.

Sweden has actively worked within the EU for measures and statements in response to Iran's actions. The EU has conveyed clear common messages in support of the Iranians who peacefully demonstrate for their rights, signaled against the Iranian authorities' excessive violence and demanded that those responsible for the violence be held accountable. At yesterday's European foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, we specifically discussed the situation in Iran and the EU's measures - an agenda item added at the request of Sweden with the support of like-minded member states. Sweden is also one of the countries that has worked for the conclusions adopted yesterday, which clearly establish the EU's political stance towards Iran.

The EU has continuously tightened the sanctions against Iran due to the developments of recent months through new decisions at the Council for Foreign Affairs in October, November, and now also December. Sweden has been proactive and joined as a co-proposer of the new sanction listings. At yesterday's meeting, decisions were made on new listings of actors responsible for the violence. This is done within the existing sanctions regime for serious human rights violations in Iran, which includes, among other things, entry bans and frozen assets in the EU. In addition, decisions were made on further sanctions within the framework of the Russia sanctions due to Iran's sale of drones to Russia.

Together with other EU member states, we continue to monitor the situation and discuss possible further sanctions. We assess that there is consensus within the EU regarding sanctions and actions against Iran. This unity is of central importance for the EU's credibility and its ability to influence the situation and must be safeguarded. Sweden will continue to support a clear and united Iran policy also during our EU presidency.

Madam Speaker! Sweden was one of the countries that worked to convene an extra session of the UN Human Rights Council on November 24 to discuss and mark the serious human rights violations in Iran. There, the Human Rights Council decided to establish an independent mechanism to investigate the violence and human rights violations in Iran. This is an important step for accountability. The UN General Assembly also adopted the annual resolution on the human rights situation in Iran in November. Sweden has actively participated in this work through the EU. Sweden and the EU support the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran, who has a specific mandate to monitor the human rights situation.

Together with other EU Member States, Sweden is continuously reviewing the tools available to address the ongoing developments in Iran.

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

Alexandra Völker (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer. It has now been almost three months since Mahsa Jina Amini was murdered by Iran's morality police. She was murdered because, according to the Iranian regime, she wore her veil incorrectly. Almost three months later, the nationwide protests led by women continue. The women in Iran have lived under Islamist oppression for over 40 years. The women's courage has caused the entire nation to rise up. Their desire is clear. They want freedom, peace, and democracy.

The Iranian regime's response to the protests has been brutal and unacceptable violence. According to the UN, at least 14,000 people have been imprisoned in the protests so far. At least 300 people have been killed, of whom at least 40 are children. Probably the figures are actually much higher. A large number of people have so far been sentenced to death, and now the judges have begun to be executed.

Despite this, people continue to bravely protest for change. The protests are not just about the compulsion to wear a veil, but about freedom and democracy. The Iranian people demonstrate enormous courage every day in their struggle for freedom. The women in Iran show a very special courage, and we must listen. Sweden, the EU, and the rest of the world must meet their struggle. We must continue to push forward in the UN, and we must push forward through the EU to act even more firmly against the Iranian regime.

In 19 days, Sweden takes over the gavel in the EU. In 19 days, it is Sweden that will have the lead. During the next half-year, it is Sweden and Sweden's government that will lead the work in the EU and thus have an enormous responsibility.

Madam Speaker! I want to be clear that the expectation from this chamber is great that Sweden's government acts strongly for a powerful EU policy towards Iran. When Iran's women risk their lives to protest against oppression and for freedom and democracy, an enormous responsibility rests on Sweden as the chairing country to take the lead and act so that the EU updates its Iran policy.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs speaks about the importance of unity and about the government's commitment to working for unity in the EU's actions towards Iran. The Social Democrats share the view that unity in the EU's foreign policy is important. It is an enormous strength when the union's countries act united. But unity must not be an end in itself. We expect the Minister for Foreign Affairs not only to work for unity, but that it must be unity for a powerful policy. We expect tougher sanctions. We expect Sweden, during the presidency, to work to create unity to designate the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. We expect the Minister for Foreign Affairs to use this half-year to push forward the EU's foreign policy to meet the brave struggle of the people in Iran.

Therefore, I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs again: Will Sweden act to update the EU's Iran policy during Sweden's presidency? Will the government work to unite the EU's member countries in listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization?

(Applause)

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Madam Speaker! There is a lullaby that is sung to small children when it is time to sleep. In Iran, it is now being sung at the funerals of mothers who have lost their children. Those who are murdered in the protests are youths and children, young people.

The death sentences now being handed down are against 21-year-olds, 22-year-olds, and 23-year-olds, such as Mohsen Shekari, who became the first to be executed in the wake of the nationwide protests. Yesterday, news arrived of the execution of 23-year-old Majidreza Rahnavard.

It is a bottomless cruelty that is taking place. But if the executions of Mohsen Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard do not have real consequences for the regime in Iran, we will see mass executions of protesters in the coming days.

According to Amnesty and the UN special rapporteur, over 14,000 people have been taken into custody since the protests began. That sentencing death penalties after sham trials, primarily against young people, obviously has its political purpose. The Islamist regime acts to force people to return in silence so that the regime can continue to rule with its reign of terror in Iran.

Another strategy for spreading fear in the population is to arrest well-known and prominent art and culture figures, athletes, and journalists. One of these is the singer and artist Shervin Hajipour, who wrote the viral protest song Baraye. It has played a central role in the protests in Iran. In less than two days, the song received 34 million views on Hajipour's Instagram, and shortly thereafter he was arrested. He is only 25 years old.

Other examples are the artists and rappers Saman Yasin and Tomaj Salehi, who have been arrested for their music and for actively using their platforms to support the popular protests. Also, the journalists Niloofar Hamedi and Elaheh Mohammadi, who were the first to draw attention to Jina Mahsa Amini's case, are detained.

Madam Speaker! During these 43 years, it is the music and the stories that have kept the culture alive. It is what the Islamist regime has tried to crush by all means. But the poets write about freedom. The artists sing about life. The books are about love. The films seem to have an undertone of traditions that existed before the Islamist regime.

Culture in Iran tries to remind the next generation that there are other values, other ways of living. That is what this generation's great struggle is really about, to take Iran from dictatorship to freedom and democracy.

Madam Speaker! I am participating in this debate solely for the purpose of conveying to the Minister for Foreign Affairs that time is running out. Until now, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has not fulfilled anything that indicates that Sweden is ready to do more. Not even yesterday's EU meeting meant that one would act to classify the revolutionary guard as a terrorist organization.

My question is: Is Iran a high priority for the government, and if so, how will that be expressed?

(Applause)

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

Azra Muranovic (S)

Madam Speaker! We can all agree that the Iranians have had enough of the Islamist regime. The Iranian Islamist regime's brutality and ruthlessness towards its own population and especially towards the women - something that has furthermore been ongoing for decades - is completely without limits.

The monstrous regime does not only suppress and imprison demonstrators but has also begun to execute them after death sentences are handed out a few weeks after imprisonment.

To this shall be added that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard not only strikes fear into the Iranian people but also willingly spreads its propaganda internationally. Furthermore, the regime is active in Russia's illegal war against Ukraine.

As is known, during the autumn we have seen more and more examples of Iranian-made drones being used to assist Russia's illegitimate and brutal warfare in Ukraine. They are small vehicles that can scan the area and then fly into specific targets and explode with the help of artificial intelligence and a human operator.

Pentagon's spokesperson John Kirby has spoken out and stated that Iran is now Russia's primary military supporter. According to Kirby, the two countries have now entered into a full defense partnership and plan a joint production of attack drones. Pentagon argues that if the information coming from the American intelligence service is correct, it would be very damaging not only for Ukraine but also for Iran's neighboring countries and the entire international community.

Madam Speaker! Now that Sweden is taking on the presidency, I believe we all want to see Sweden wear the leader's jersey for real and stand up for human rights, international law, and moral right.

My question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs is: How will Sweden act during the presidency in the EU next half-year regarding Iran's involvement in Russia's war in Ukraine? Will you, for example, increase the military support?

Will Sweden be proactive in the issue of placing more than three persons and one entity on the list of persons subject to restrictive measures against activities that undermine or threaten Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence?

(Applause)

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

Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! Just in the last few days, two young men have been executed in Iran, Mohsen Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard. They are two young men whose lives have been taken from them solely because they wished to live their lives to the fullest. Now, another 37 young people, three of whom are minors, are waiting to have their death sentences carried out. Their crime? Their cry for freedom and democracy.

The brutal Iranian regime spares no means to try to instill terror and helplessness in its opponents. It is about arresting, torturing and killing. It is the regime's response to everything. But so far, its attempts to sow division and create terror have had no impact.

It rather reveals, on the contrary, just the fear that it itself feels and should feel. The Iranian people have had enough. The Iranian people refuse to give up. The Iranian people want a change. In this, the role and actions of the rest of the world are very important in order to be able to support the Iranian people.

Sweden has a long history of standing up for human rights and supporting other countries in their democratic development. It is a history that honors us and that we feel great pride in. Sweden has also previously played an important role for a better and more peaceful Iran. Olof Palme and Jan Eliasson were appointed by the UN to be special envoys and mediate in the war between Iran and Iraq.

Madam Speaker! I assume that Foreign Minister Tobias Billström also safeguards Sweden's good reputation. Therefore, I am very puzzled and shocked when I see that the Foreign Minister does not answer at all to the interpellant Alexandra Völkers question about why we have not yet called in the Iranian ambassador. My direct question to the Foreign Minister is: Will the Foreign Minister call in the Iranian ambassador, and when?

(Applause)

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

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Madam Speaker! On Friday, it will be three months since Jina Amini was murdered by the Iranian regime. It is also nearly two months since Tobias Billström took office as Foreign Minister in Sweden's new government. Before that, another government sat with some representatives whom I now see here in the benches.

It has also been about a month since the telephone call between Foreign Minister Billström and the Iranian Foreign Minister. If I understood correctly, it was a call that the Iranian Foreign Minister called for, not Billström.

Above all, it has been about a month since we gathered here in the Riksdag for the first time to have an interpellation debate on Iran. Since then, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been here a couple of times and discussed Iran, and that is because it is so highly topical and important that we act. Then, a month ago, the rows of benches in the plenary's gallery were filled practically from the first to the last bench. There was a long queue to enter the Riksdag and listen to the debate on a cold Tuesday evening in November.

The government has slowly but surely stepped up a bit in the Iran issue; that is what I will give foreign minister Billström before I come to the criticism. At the same time, I think one should keep in mind that the government is engaging in a bit of circular reasoning here, which is a certain challenge for us in the Swedish Riksdag to contend with. It is argued that alone is not strong, which is a point, and that we therefore need to take the EU route instead of pursuing our own Iran policy, even though many of us members believe it would be better if we had both our own Iran policy in our relation to Iran and an EU track. The government has fixated on the EU track, and that is made very clear in various types of foreign policy and other declarations.

But one must also not go further than the EU. One must always go exactly as far as all EU countries agree. The one who wants the least shall get to decide how much the EU shall do. It is in that circular reasoning that the Swedish government stands stuck and does not move forward in supporting the Iranian people.

Everyone agrees that EU unity is important and, as Billström says in the response, "of central importance" - absolutely! But does it mean that we should not make these efforts to support the Iranian people more? I think it is sad and, above all, devastating that one cannot more clearly point out what we should do to strengthen the power of the EU, so that it is not the one who wants the least who decides what the EU should do.

Sweden is now taking over the presidency of the EU from January 1 and will hold it for half a year. It is a good opportunity for Sweden's Foreign Minister to set the agenda and ensure that Iran is on the table. We know that the EU's High Representative Josep Borrell has a tendency to forget everything that has to do with human rights.

There is much the government can do. The ambassador has not been summoned, even though three months have passed. Now the executions are taking place, and many countries around the world are reacting by summoning the ambassador. If we do not mark this now, there is a risk of many, many more executions ahead.

We should brand the revolutionary guard as terrorists as soon as we can. It is also linked to expanding to even more sanctions aimed at the companies that finance the revolutionary guard and which are part of the political regime's system to finance its military and thereby be a power factor even in the Middle East at large - in Lebanon, in Iraq, in Yemen and so on.

But above all, the EU and the government should clearly state that they want democracy in Iran. That word cannot be found anywhere in any single EU document today, even if you look with a magnifying glass.

(Applause)

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

Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Madam Speaker and the Minister for Foreign Affairs! Islamism is not only a threat to the freedom and security of Iranians. Islamism is a threat to our way of life, our safety and our security.

Just last week, it was reported in German media that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard is looking at Jewish targets in Germany. Jewish targets in Germany are subjects of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard's activities! An official part of the Iranian state is prepared to threaten Jewish targets in Germany, in the European Union. Islamism, in fact, recognizes no borders. The entire ideology that characterizes the Iranian state is built on the idea that it has power over people regardless of national borders. The ideology is built on hatred of women, hatred of our way of life, and hatred of our freedom, and has antisemitism as a fundamental part.

Now the Iranian people have had enough. 43 years is enough. The Iranian people have had enough, and many Iranians are prepared to risk their lives for freedom, for democracy, for equality and for all those values that are established in the Swedish constitution and upon which the Swedish government builds its policy.

Then the question is: What is our responsibility in this? How far should we go? What shall we do to express support and show real support for the Iranian people's struggle for freedom?

Madam Speaker! I am not here to demand that the Minister for Foreign Affairs act like Harald Edelstam, Folke Bernadotte, or Raoul Wallenberg. I am not here to demand that the Minister for Foreign Affairs risk his life. I am here to say - honestly, simply, and clearly: Use the power to save human lives!

I have sat in Sweden's government for eight years. From time to time, opportunities arise to truly influence people's lives as a minister. It does not happen so often, but every now and then it does. Right now, there are several hundred people in Iran who risk the death penalty. Two have already been executed in the last twenty-four hours. We can stop those executions, but that requires the Foreign Minister to be prepared to show political leadership.

With all respect for the civil servant basis from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, it is not the time to follow them. It is time to show political leadership. Call the Iranian ambassador, as Germany and many other European countries have done in the last few days! Say: No, we do not accept that you execute people who long for freedom!

It has a price for the Foreign Minister, but that price is not particularly high in comparison with the ability, and actually the chance, to save lives and actually stand up for the values that Swedish foreign policy is built on, regardless of whether the government is social democratically led or moderately led.

I am convinced that I share these values with the Foreign Minister. I am convinced that Tobias Billström has the same stance against Islamism as I do. But I do not sit in the position that Tobias Billström sits in. I cannot call the Iranian ambassador. I can be here today and argue for my cause, but Tobias Billström can actually, regardless of the basis from the officials, go to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs tomorrow, call the Iranian ambassador to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and clearly signal that the executions must be stopped.

Is it anything we know that those types of signals towards the Iranian regime matter? They are brutal, but they are very sensitive to criticism. Please, use that power!

(Applause)

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

Arin Karapet (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for taking the time to provide a detailed answer!

Madam Speaker! It is as previous colleagues from other parties in the Riksdag have described: Two young men have been executed in Iran.

It is not the first time the Iranian regime has executed someone. I am a Swedish-Armenian from Iran. Behind our cemetery in Tehran lie over 10,000 Iranians buried in a mass grave from 1988-1989. The Iranian regime has never denied this, but rather proudly stated that it was they who did it.

When I was able to visit my grandfather's grave, a man pointed and said: Somewhere by the mountain over there, 10,000 people lie buried in a mass grave. It takes its toll on a person when one looks back. When I was little, I did not understand what it was. I was ten or eleven years old. Now, as a representative of the Swedish people and politically engaged, I understand much more of the sorrow that man showed when he pointed with his hand.

Mohsen Shekari and Majidreza Rahnavard are the two who have been executed. The latter, Majidreza, was a wrestler. His crime was that he protected demonstrators against the regime's hail of bullets in his hometown Mashhad.

The Iranian regime does not only commit terror against its own people. It commits terror in the region. We see in the demonstrations that the regime uses its Shia militias, which have been built up in Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. They use these against their own population.

Today, a report came from Amnesty that the Iranian football player Amir Nasr-Azadani is at risk of being executed. It shows that the regime also dares to go against known figures. It is not just about someone they have picked up on the street, but also well-known football players.

There are many Iranians in Sweden who have sent us emails, and also Swedish citizens of other ethnicities. They have every right to have bombarded our email accounts. They harbor a great concern, because many know what this regime is prone to do. A human life is worth nothing as long as they can retain power.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has exemplary informed the Riksdag that the Swedish government raised the issue at the meeting of the Ministers for Foreign Affairs yesterday in Brussels. I understand the frustration of the opposition and the desire that more should be done, for I feel the same frustration. But we know that a united EU was needed. The dictatorship of Iran has been very good at bypassing sanctions for 43 years. Iran is the example for Russia. The more isolated Russia becomes, the more Russia will look at Iran. Iran has been able to bypass the economic sanctions for 43 years.

My question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs is: In addition to the measures that have been taken in Brussels and in the UN, what other measures does the Minister for Foreign Affairs see that the Swedish government can take initiative on in light of our reputation as a country that stands up for human rights? We must also get those countries on board that hesitate to introduce tougher sanctions. Sweden can save lives. Sweden has saved lives, and we must save more lives.

(Applause)

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

Alireza Akhondi (C)

Madam Speaker! The Minister for Foreign Affairs! Now we see each other here again, and if nothing happens, we will see each other here more times. That matter is probably clear.

I shall try not to repeat what has already been said from the rostrum today. It concerns 18,000 imprisoned and several hundred dead, and two executions in the last 24 hours alone.

It was a strange incident in the EU Committee at the end of last week. At that time, the government had clear chances and opportunities to act against the Islamic Republic's Revolutionary Guard, but one chose in principle to move forward with a non-committal mandate to the EU.

Today, representatives from four different parties are sitting here in the chamber and debating with the Minister for Foreign Affairs: the Moderates, the Social Democrats, the Left Party, and the Centre Party. I am convinced that there is a strong majority in this assembly that wants to see powerful measures against Iran. What we are requesting is actually not much. We have requested that the government summon the Iranian ambassador and signal that we do not accept the executions and the behavior towards the population.

I hope that the Minister for Foreign Affairs can give us a promise today that he will call the Iranian ambassador tomorrow. This is what I hope to hear in the debate.

In order for the Minister for Foreign Affairs to truly understand what this is about, I want to read out some names of people who risk being executed if the Minister for Foreign Affairs does not act. These are people of flesh and blood: Mohammad Mehdi Karmi, Ali Moazemi Goderzai, Behrad Ali Kenar, Reza Shaker Zavardehi, Javad Zargaran, Mohammad Amin Akhlagi, Syed Mohammed Hosseini, Shayan Charani, Mahdi Mohammadi, Arin Farzam Nia, Amir Mohammad Jaafari, Amin Mehdi Shakralhi, Tomaj Salehi, Saleh Mir Hashmi, Amirnaser Azadani, Ali Rakhshani, Mohammad Rakhshani, Tohid Darvishi, Mohammad Ghabadlou, Sahand Noor Mohammadzadeh, Mohammad Broughani, Akbar Shafari, Parham Parvari, Mahan Sadrat Madiani, Behrad Hesari, Mehdi Jahani, Milad Azmoun, Manouchehr Mihman Navaz, Saman Seidi, Mohsen Rezazadeh Gharaqlou, Nastouh Nikkhah, Mohammad Pasandian, Abolfazl Mehri Hossein Haji, Saed Shirazi, Hamid Ghare Hassanlou, Farzane Ghare Hassanlou, Reza Arya, Saman Yasin, Fahime Karimi and Mahsa Mohammadi.

Why am I then reading out these names? Tobias Billström, these are people of flesh and blood. They have families. They are now in Iranian prisons and risk being executed at any moment. They have people who love them. Think about that!

The Foreign Minister's lack of will to act in a purely concrete way has consequences for people. What we in this chamber are trying to achieve through our interpellations is to demonstrate these consequences to the Foreign Minister. It is not to point fingers or to try to make it a matter of party politics. There is a broad consensus in this chamber. There is strong support here in the chamber for the Foreign Minister to lean on if he chooses to act. Please, I ask the Foreign Minister to take the chance and act tomorrow morning.

(Applause)

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

Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)

Madam Speaker! I have on several occasions here in the chamber had the opportunity to actively highlight that Sweden is working to clearly signal and take measures in light of the developments in Iran. We view with deep concern the continued brutal and repressive treatment from Iranian authorities towards the peaceful protests, not least against the background of the executions that are now being carried out and which several of the participants in the debate here have related to. The death penalty is an inhuman and irreversible punishment that violates human rights. The EU has, like Sweden and the Swedish government, clearly expressed this in its sharp reaction to the executions.

The brave Iranians who continue to protest for their human rights, not least the women and girls who have often taken a leading role, deserve our deepest respect. They also deserve our support and our solidarity. Sweden's role is to act in the international system in support of their demands for human rights and to exert pressure on the Iranian regime to counter a continued escalation of violence and abuses.

For this, we act bilaterally, both through the EU and through the UN, and this includes both clear public positions and direct talks with Iranian representatives. It also includes contributing to concrete international measures such as extended sanctions and an independent UN mechanism to investigate the violence and demand accountability.

Sweden has repeatedly taken up the situation directly with Iranian representatives at various levels. In my conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister on November 11, I emphasized that the repression against the protests must cease and that the demands for human rights must be obeyed. UD has frequent contacts with Iran's ambassador, where Sweden's critical view on the developments has also been conveyed. The same also occurs through our embassy in Iran.

It is important to maintain and use our diplomatic channels to convey clear Swedish messages in direct conversations and to safeguard Swedish interests where respect for human rights is a priority.

Sweden's and the EU's Iran policy is reviewed continuously. It has been adapted constantly to signal and respond to the developments and the actions of the Iranian authorities. It is crucial that the measures we take are meaningful and effective and that we use different platforms to optimize the impact.

Madam Speaker! As I have previously emphasized in debates here in the chamber, the government is always ready, in consultation with our EU partners, to reassess and review bilateral relations in light of the developments. Therefore, I welcome the debate that we have had here today in the chamber and also, naturally, the continued exchange on this important issue.

For me as Minister for Foreign Affairs, it feels good that the commitment to the Iranian people is so deep and extensive. I have said it in previous chamber debates, and I intend to continue to say it because it feels that way to me as a government minister.

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

Alexandra Völker (S)

Madam Speaker! It is clear what enormous commitment and what solidarity with the Iranian people's struggle for freedom there is in the Swedish Riksdag. I am pleased that the Minister for Foreign Affairs takes this with him, and I truly hope that he feels this regarding the continued work. This is truly about life, freedom, and democracy, and the Iranian people impress enormously with their courage and their unity in this struggle.

A few weeks ago, the Tony Blair Institute, in collaboration with Gamaan, published a unique opinion poll that could be conducted through encryption and which examined the background and how widespread the struggle in Iran is. It shows that the resistance against mandatory hijab extends across all ages and all parts of the population. Men and women, young and old, rural and urban – the desire for change permeates the entire society. The survey also shows that the protests are about much more than the demand to wear a veil. It points to an enormous secularization and a desire to live in an Iran free from the current regime.

The Iranian people are fighting for freedom but are met with violence and now outright executions. Sweden must act even more forcefully, and therefore I was shocked when I saw the EU committee that took place earlier today. There, the Prime Minister explains that since there was no consensus at yesterday's EU meeting regarding the terror classification of the Revolutionary Guard, the government does not consider the issue worth prioritizing. Instead, they want to prioritize the issues where there is consensus.

Is this what we have to expect during the Swedish presidency, that Sweden will only push forward in issues where there is already consensus?

That is why I ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs again: How will Sweden act during the presidency in the EU? Will the government work to unite the EU countries behind listing the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, which the USA, for example, has already done?

(Applause)

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

Lawen Redar (S)

Madam Speaker! I am firmly convinced that Iran will never return to what it has been. The people are many, and they have united. All ethnic groups stand united for a free, independent Iran on democratic terms. But there will be no other moment as important as now, for we find ourselves exactly at the breaking point, where the tyranny acts in the way they do, through torture, arrests, imprisonments, and sentenced death penalties. The regime has weapons, prisons, and its revolutionary guard. But what does the people have? What do the women have? What do the children have? Their plea is directed to the rest of the world. It is the rest of the world that must pull this load now to show that we stand behind what they demand: a democratic future.

We who live and work in democracies therefore have an even greater responsibility to act precisely at this turning point. Either we let the regime continue with its reign of terror, its death penalties, its arrests and its terror. Or it is precisely just now that the rest of the world condemns the death penalties and the torture and acts by calling up its ambassadors in the respective countries and concludes that something more must be done, for example, to classify the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization and make more interventions to put pressure on the regime.

I am of the opinion that the Minister for Foreign Affairs can be the person who, at this very moment, takes the historical step that is required. I hope that he takes this opportunity.

(Applause)

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Azra Muranovic (S)

Madam Speaker! I feel that I did not quite receive an answer to my question.

I mean that it is problematic for the government to weaken the UN by cutting back on core support - this in a restless global situation where we see several countries with authoritarian regimes joining together in what appears to be an arms race to redraw the global playing field and ensure that precisely their worldview shall be prevailing.

Therefore, I ask again: How will Sweden act during the presidency in the EU, which seems to be the government's most important playing field? Will you increase the military support to Ukraine, and will more people who support Russia be put on the sanctions list?

(Applause)

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Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! I really hoped to hear more engaged answers from the Minister for Foreign Affairs and not only pre-written answers read out, as we have not received answers to many of the questions that have been asked in here. I truly wonder why the Minister for Foreign Affairs continues to avoid answering the questions of why the ambassador has not been called and when the ambassador will be called.

It is striking information we receive that the initiative for the telephone call the Foreign Minister refers to was taken by the Iranian Foreign Minister. Thus, the calls have not even taken place at our own initiative. In light of this, it becomes even more striking and surprising that we have not called the Iranian ambassador yet. Should we not do what other countries in the EU are doing, since we constantly refer to what others do for us to act? Several countries have called the ambassadors and condemned the executions.

We have spoken several times about courage. It is time that we show courage and call Iran's ambassador and condemn the executions face to face.

I repeat my question: Will the Minister for Foreign Affairs summon Iran's ambassador?

(Applause)

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

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Madam Speaker! The Minister for Foreign Affairs says that he wants to act and mark clearly, and that this happens by the EU and Sweden making sharp statements as a reaction to the two death sentences that have been carried out against two demonstrators.

Let me ask an honest question, Foreign Minister Billström. Where were these statements made? I heard them for the first time today at the EU Committee's open meeting with the Prime Minister and this evening in your statement, which is good. Is it the first time these statements have been made from the Swedish side, or have they been made at some other occasion that I am not aware of? The EU spoke yesterday in connection with the Foreign Ministers' joint FAC meeting.

I also wonder about this matter of summoning the ambassador. France has today summoned Iran's chargé d'affaires in Paris. I wonder if France coordinated this with the EU or if this was a private initiative by France. Is this something one must coordinate with EU circles before doing it?

Another country is the United Kingdom. At the first execution four days ago, the United Kingdom quickly summoned Iran's ambassador in London and condemned the execution.

Great Britain itself has been called 15 times during the last three months to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This shows that what Great Britain is doing, namely putting pressure on the Iranian regime, has significance. Otherwise, one does not get a season ticket to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

It is time for Sweden to take diplomatic measures. We can gladly do this together with all other EU countries, but we can also do it alone. It is important that it happens, and therefore we demand that the ambassador be recalled now. Condemn the executions straight to the face of the Iranian ambassador, Billström!

(Applause)

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

Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Madam Speaker and the Minister for Foreign Affairs! On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, and with it, communism fell. We got rid of communism's tyranny in Europe. It is precisely this process that the Iranian people are in - to defeat yet another brutal ideology: Islamism. Islamism's advance began with the Iranian revolution in 1979, but now the Iranians want to put an end to Islamism's advance. Then the question is: What can we do?

What the Foreign Minister should do is stop risk-minimizing by reading out pre-prepared civil servant products as answers in an interpellation debate. The great risk the Foreign Minister takes is to stand on the wrong side of history and challenge the will that exists in the Riksdag. From Sverigedemokraterna to Vänsterpartiet – there is a will, Foreign Minister, that Sweden should act clearly. It is obvious that Sweden is not acting clearly, Tobias Billström, for the simple reason that we are one of the EU countries that have not called Iran's ambassador to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs after the executions.

I promise the Minister for Foreign Affairs that if the world does not act clearly - if we do not react harshly, concretely and clearly - they will execute more. And the judgment of posterity will be harsh toward us, just as the judgment of posterity is harsh toward those who accepted communism during the 80s and did not stand on the right side of history in 1989.

Let us now do what the Riksdag expects, Foreign Minister. Call Iran's ambassador to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs already tomorrow, show political leadership and do not minimize risk by following the officials' reports! Show political leadership through political positions based on the will that exists in Sweden's Riksdag, or even more importantly, based on the government statement that the Prime Minister read out here. One country was mentioned: Iran. The fight for freedom in Iran was supported by the Prime Minister. Follow that in concrete actions! The Foreign Minister has the Riksdag's support in this.

(Applause)

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

Arin Karapet (M)

Madam Speaker! Everyone in here, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, is probably in agreement that what we see in Iran is a struggle for freedom against a regime that never shies away from any means when it comes to extinguishing a life.

Madam Speaker! The issue of Iran concerns us. Sweden is one of the most egalitarian countries. Here, we do not make a distinction between men and women from birth. In Iran, women are not born free, and this also affects the men. That is why the men have joined their sisters, their mothers, and their grandmothers and great-grandmothers in the struggle for freedom. This is a question of freedom for all of us.

I perceive that the Foreign Minister nevertheless opens up for the fact that we on the Swedish side are not at all negatively disposed toward designating the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization, but that, for it to become concrete action, we must get the other EU countries on board. There is also a list of certain requirements that must be met. Which countries they are, I do not know – I was not at that meeting – but my position based on today's open consultation is that the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister are not negatively disposed.

There is a pressure and a will to stand on the side of the Iranian people. My question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs is: What concrete measures are seen in the near term, jointly at the European level, to achieve a real pressure?

(Applause)

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

Alireza Akhondi (C)

Madam Speaker and Minister for Foreign Affairs! I have two honest questions that I hope the Minister for Foreign Affairs will answer.

Have we delegated our foreign policy to other countries? If not, why does Sweden not act as an independent country that owns its own foreign policy and start acting? That was the first question.

The second question is largely about trying to understand the Foreign Minister's reluctance to recall the Iranian ambassador. So far, during a certain number of debates we have had in this chamber, the Foreign Minister has not given a single answer as to why he does not want to act. This makes it very difficult for this assembly to understand what concerns might exist that prevent the Foreign Minister from acting as a lot of other countries have done. This gnaws, Tobias Billström. It gnaws deep in our stomachs when we do not understand why the Foreign Minister chooses to repeat the same sentences time and again.

Can we not, please, Tobias Billström, try to move forward in this debate and move away from this situation where the same questions are asked and the same non-committal answers are given time and again? Now the Foreign Minister has the chance to stand on the right side of history. Take advantage of it, Tobias Billström!

(Applause)

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

Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)

Madam Speaker! Thank you for the great commitment present here in the chamber tonight! The Government naturally attaches great importance to a powerful and united action within the EU regarding Iran. This is something that Alexandra Völker also highlights in her interpellation. Acting together with 26 other countries through joint statements or actions carries much greater power than if one country acts alone.

Yesterday, the EU's foreign ministers met for the month's meeting of the Council for Foreign Affairs, where we specifically discussed the situation in Iran. This agenda item was added after Sweden, together with like-minded member states, proposed and pushed to give the Iran issue the attention it requires.

At the meeting, a broad consensus emerged that the EU needs to maintain the pressure and continue to act in light of the very serious developments. This is also reflected in the council conclusions that were adopted. Sweden continues, together with other EU countries, to investigate which measures are most effective for exerting maximum pressure on the IRGC, i.e., the Revolutionary Guard. In that regard, it is important for Sweden to act as a unifying force during the EU presidency. EU unity is central, but the conditions for achieving consensus regarding the IRGC are currently considered to be small.

The EU has in recent months chosen to introduce extensive new sanction listings against persons and organizations in Iran who bear direct responsibility for the violence and abuses in connection with the ongoing protests. This is done through the EU's existing sanctions regime for serious human rights violations in Iran. A large number of central individuals and entities within the IRGC are already listed under the sanctions regime, and further listings may become relevant. The EU's collective assessment has been that these are the most effective human rights listings against those who participate in the abuses, and Sweden has actively worked for the new sanction listings.

To this is added that the IRGC as an organization is already sanctioned under the EU sanctions introduced in 2010 on the grounds that Iran has contributed to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

Madam Speaker! Now I want to say one thing: Listing IRGC under the EU's terrorism sanctions, that is to say another sanctions regime, would not have any practical consequences. IRGC is already subject to, among other things, asset freezes and entry bans in the EU. And even if IRGC as an organization were to be listed as a terrorist organization, it would not automatically mean that individual members would be hit by sanctions. They would need to be listed separately.

The government's view has been requested several times here this evening. That is reasonable. Through the adoption of these new council conclusions on Iran, the Union's view is established. The council conclusions are a strong signal from the EU's side that it is not business as usual with Iran. The text includes, among other things, the situation for human rights in Iran in support of those who peacefully demonstrate for their human rights and also calls for accountability.

It is central for the government that the EU continues to act in a coordinated and powerful manner. Unity is a strategic priority for the EU and for Sweden as the incoming presiding country. While the EU presidency does not formally encompass foreign affairs, Sweden will seize the opportunities to, through the presidency, push for continued strong EU action regarding Iran.

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

Alexandra Völker (S)

Madam Speaker! The death sentences that the Iranian regime is now issuing - the death sentences that they have begun to carry out - mean in practice that the regime in Iran systematically murders people because they demonstrate for their human rights, that they murder people because they want freedom and democracy. It is unacceptable, and it must have severe consequences.

I react to hearing the Foreign Minister downplay the significance of a terror listing, or a terror branding. It is clear that it has significance to terror-brand. We have terror-classified al-Qaida, PKK and a multitude of different organizations. Of course it has significance, otherwise we could stop using this tool.

I hope that Sweden's government, during its presidency in the EU, shows more drive than the Foreign Minister has shown here today. I hope that one enters with the attitude that politics actually matters, that it makes a difference that one takes clear steps forward and that it is a clear support for the people in Iran.

We have as the chair the opportunity to take on the leadership role and act so that the EU shows the same strength and unity that we have shown towards Russia during the last months. We expect Sweden's government to dare to show the same courage as the people of Iran. We expect a powerful policy against Iran. We expect tougher sanctions. We expect that one pushes to list the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. We expect that one pushes and uses this time. We expect that the Foreign Minister summons Iran's ambassador. He has the Riksdag's support. Take advantage of it!

(Applause)

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

Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)

Madam Speaker! I thank the interpellator once again for the interpellation and for a good debate. I truly welcome the great interest that exists for the situation in Iran, both here in the Riksdag and among the Swedish public. Many of us feel for the Iranian people and are committed to ensuring that Sweden and Europe stand up for the demands for human rights and contribute in the ways that we can.

I also want to emphasize in this context the importance of a free and open debate and a climate of conversation where everyone is allowed to express themselves and discuss ideas. It is a fundamental part of a liberal democracy, precisely what the Iranian people are now fighting for, often with their lives at stake.

We see, together with other EU countries, at all times which measures are most effective as a reaction against the violence and the repression that we see in Iran. Summoning Iran's ambassador to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is a tool available to mark our dissatisfaction with the situation in Iran.

I would, however, like to focus a bit more on the question of the IRGC, which has been highlighted here several times in the debate. There has been a consensus so far within the EU circles to focus on sanctions against persons and entities that can be proven in a clear and legally sound manner to have a direct connection to the ongoing human rights violations. But if one is to list the entire organization, there are greater practical and legal problems. One must be able to establish and prove that the entire organization is responsible for concrete and serious human rights violations. This would also not automatically mean that individual members are affected by sanctions. They would still need to be listed separately. So far, it has been found in the EU circles that it is most effective and legally sound to focus on individual listings. But the EU has so far sanctioned a large number of individual IRGC commanders in several different provinces in Iran for human rights violations, and it has been judged to be more expedient than listing organizations.

Madam Speaker! I thank you once again for a good debate. I am completely convinced that we will continue to discuss this issue. It is truly needed in support of the Iranian people.

The interpellation debate was hereby concluded.

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