Response to interpellation 2023/24:706 on the sale of surveillance equipment to Iran
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
M argues that the situation for human rights in Iran is very serious 1 2. M emphasizes that Swedish trade is limited, that companies must follow existing sanctions and that the government is working to strengthen enforcement and criminalize violations 1 2 3. M assumes that all Swedish actors follow legislation and EU sanctions, where the companies themselves have the responsibility to keep themselves informed 4. SD argues that current sanctions are poorly positioned because they do not cover ordinary surveillance cameras or AI-tracking software 5 6. SD considers it immoral to export equipment that strengthens oppression and that a regulatory framework must be introduced that makes it impossible for companies to export all surveillance equipment to Iran 6 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)
Madam Speaker! Nima Gholam Ali Pour has asked me if I and the government intend to work for comprehensive legislation at the EU level to secure a ban on all exports of surveillance equipment from the EU and its member states to Iran; if I and the government intend to work for legislation at the national level to secure a ban on all exports of surveillance equipment from Sweden to Iran; how I and the government intend to work to ensure that companies within Sweden and other member states within the EU do not have legal opportunities to sell any form of surveillance equipment to Iran that can be used against its population; and whether I believe that the EU's export ban regarding surveillance equipment to Iran should be tightened.
As I have emphasized in previous parliamentary answers and interpellations, the situation for human rights in Iran continues to be very serious. I share the interpellator's concern regarding this.
Swedish trade with Iran at the current time is very limited and has been further restricted by the existing restrictions. For goods and services that are not covered by the war materiel legislation, the starting point in Swedish and EU common law is that export is permitted unless there is a prohibition on export in the individual case. Sweden also has a strict and thorough export control of products with dual-use applications. When it comes to trade with Iran, it is also covered by international sanctions aimed at the country, both those decided by the EU and by other countries.
All companies in the EU must comply with the sanctions against Iran that have been decided and are implemented by the member states. This applies, among other things, to MR sanctions and non-proliferation sanctions, but also to sanction regimes focused on Russia and Syria. The sanction regime against human rights violations in Iran, which was established in 2011, includes a ban on selling or transferring certain equipment that can be used for repression or surveillance to Iran.
The sanctions regimes are continuously reviewed and revised. Such a revision, which Sweden was involved in advocating, took place, for example, on May 14. In this revision, more components of export prohibitions were included. Among the components that were added, cameras for airborne surveillance can be mentioned, among others.
At the national level, that is in Sweden, it is the Inspectorate for Strategic Products, ISP, which is the responsible authority for granting permits for exports covered by the EU regulation on export control of products with dual-use or that require exemptions from international sanctions in certain cases.
It is always the exporter's responsibility to keep themselves informed about which sanctions and rules apply in the individual case. All companies in the EU shall comply with the sanctions against Iran that have been decided at the EU level and which are implemented by the member states.
The EU also has a special envoy for sanctions, David O'Sullivan, who works closely with third countries to ensure strict compliance with the decided sanctions.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! Dictators around the world are now digitizing their oppression and using the latest technology to strengthen their grip on power. The Mullahs' regime in Iran is no exception. The regime in Iran also uses digital equipment to monitor the country's citizens and ensure that they follow various Islamist dress codes.
Given that the regime in Iran has a close cooperation with Russia and China, many would assume that the authorities turn to these countries to obtain technological equipment for the purpose of monitoring their citizens. According to the German public service company ARD, however, European companies such as Bosch have also delivered surveillance cameras to Iran, which have subsequently ended up with the regime's authorities and been used to monitor women who violate the country's Islamist dress codes.
Despite the fact that the EU has established sanctions against Iran intended to prevent certain products from being exported to Iran, these sanctions do not cover anything as fundamental as surveillance cameras, which are currently used by all dictatorships to counter democratic forces. Furthermore, these loopholes in the EU's sanctions against Iran have already been used by European companies that have delivered surveillance equipment to Iranian authorities.
I have previously submitted a written question concerning exactly this. In his response, the Minister for Foreign Affairs wrote that it is the Inspectorate for Strategic Products that is responsible for granting permits for the export of products covered by international sanctions.
The export of surveillance cameras to Iran is not covered by any sanctions according to the regulatory framework in place today. Surveillance cameras are also not a weapon in the traditional sense. There are no sanctions or rules today that prevent European companies from exporting surveillance cameras to the regime in Iran. Actually, AI tracking software, which streamlines surveillance and absolutely should not be exported to dictatorships, is also not covered.
What is covered by the EU's sanctions against Iran regarding surveillance equipment is only systems for interception and monitoring of the internet, as well as tele- and satellite communications, as well as what the Foreign Minister mentioned today, airborne surveillance cameras.
It means that European companies today can export surveillance equipment that monitors people to countries such as Iran without being prevented by any regulations or sanctions. It is obvious that the EU's sanctions against Iran are poorly placed and that they are not effective against the surveillance equipment that is exported to Iran today to maintain the oppression.
That is why I have asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether the Minister will work for comprehensive legislation at the EU level or at the national level so that the export of surveillance equipment to Iran shall be prohibited.
It is not forbidden today to export surveillance equipment to a regime as objectionable as the regime of the mullahs in Iran. There is nothing that forbids this. The companies that have engaged in this export acknowledge it because it is not forbidden.
The question is whether the Foreign Minister will take action or if he intends to be satisfied with European companies continuing to export surveillance equipment to Iran.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! I want first and foremost to reiterate what I said in my answer just now, namely that the situation for human rights in Iran continues to be very serious. We have, for example, noted that the application of the death penalty, which Sweden and the EU oppose under all circumstances, increased last year to the highest figure in several years in Iran. At the same time, reports are arriving, among others from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, regarding an increasingly stricter application of laws on the mandatory wearing of the veil for women, just as the interpellor mentioned.
As a direct consequence of this, the government, both individually and jointly with the rest of the EU, has strongly condemned the Iranian authorities' violence against peaceful protesters and other human rights violations - in statements and in direct talks with Iranian representatives, including at the ministerial level, and also in contacts with the current Iranian embassy.
It remains important for Sweden to act through both the EU and the UN to ensure that messages and also the measures taken gain broad traction and thus become as effective as possible. When we speak with a united voice, it also becomes stronger.
The EU continues to take a stand against Iran, and the EU's Iran policy has been tightened since the autumn of 2022. Sweden and the EU have also taken a number of measures against Iran due to the serious situation, including additional sanctions listings.
In total, the council has on ten occasions since the autumn of 2022 expanded the sanctions lists of persons and organizations who bear direct responsibility for repression against demonstrators and other violations of human rights in Iran.
During the Swedish EU Presidency, Iran was repeatedly discussed at the monthly meetings of the foreign ministers. A total of six new packages of listings under the MR sanction regime were adopted by the Council during this period. We therefore continue to act to contribute to the strongest possible international pressure and continuously review the tools available to counter Iran's actions in the most effective way possible.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! As many know, Iran is today a country governed by Islamic laws. This means that there are certain dress codes for women implemented by the regime. If one does not follow these dress codes and does not put on the Muslim veil, there is a risk of being sentenced to prison.
Many Iranians see the mullahs as an occupying power, and the regime behaves like an occupying power. If one then sells surveillance equipment to such a regime, it is obvious that there is a great risk that the surveillance equipment is used in a way that restricts women's freedom.
Last year, Iranian authorities also established an app that provides the opportunity for everyone in Iran to report women who do not wear the Muslim veil. It is evident that the regime in Iran is eager to use the latest technology in various ways to implement Islamist laws and restrict people's freedom.
It should also be added that we are talking about a regime that systematically violates human rights and commits various forms of abuses. It is often the case that women who do not wear a veil do not only end up in prison. They can also be subjected to rape by the regime's representatives. It is therefore very important that Sweden and other countries within the EU in no way promote such an Islamist dictatorship. Therefore, it is important that companies in Sweden and within the EU are prevented from exporting surveillance equipment to the mullahs' dictatorship in Iran.
As I explained earlier, today's sanctions from the EU against Iran do not cover all surveillance equipment. Ordinary surveillance cameras are not covered by the sanctions and can be exported to Iran without any regulatory framework hindering this at all. This in itself means that there is a possibility for companies in Sweden and in the rest of Europe to promote the dictatorship in Iran.
I do not think it would be good for Sweden and for the image of Sweden if Swedish companies produced the camera used to imprison an Iranian woman when she refuses to wear the Muslim veil.
It is important that companies have their freedom and that they can also conduct business in dictatorships, as unfortunately not all countries have democracy, as we have in Sweden. But it is a completely different matter when companies create the tools that enable the oppression itself, especially if it concerns an oppression based on misogyny and where the consequences often become violations of human rights.
Does the Foreign Minister believe that Swedish companies should really be given the opportunity to be involved in upholding such oppression?
It is also worrying that the current sanctions against Iran do not cover AI tools that can be used to monitor people. Given how quickly AI is developing and how willing dictatorships are to make use of this, it is important that we have a regulatory framework in place either at the national level or at the EU level that prevents companies from exporting such technology that upholds oppression in other countries. This applies especially to a country like Iran, which conducts extensive espionage in Sweden.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Let me begin by saying that I agree with the interpellor that European companies naturally should not contribute to supporting foreign states' repression of the domestic population. Here, companies must comply with the EU's country-specific sanction regimes. In addition to this, there is, as mentioned, the EU's regulatory framework on export controls for dual-use products, which includes, among other things, certain types of surveillance cameras and other surveillance equipment, as well as other international sanctions and other applicable legislation.
Sanctions are an important tool in the EU's foreign and security policy. However, it is not enough that the framework exists. For sanctions to have the desired effect, they must be complied with. The Government takes the circumvention of sanctions seriously, whether it concerns sanctions against Russia or whether it concerns sanctions against Iran.
Strengthening compliance with EU sanctions has been a priority for the government, not least during the Swedish presidency when the EU adopted a general guideline on this in the Council. This has subsequently resulted in a directive concerning the criminalization of violations of EU sanctions in order to strengthen the enforcement of EU sanctions. The directive introduces common minimum rules regarding, among other things, criminal definitions and penalties.
In Sweden, competent authorities are responsible for the national implementation of existing sanctions within their respective areas of responsibility.
Furthermore, on 8 May, the government tasked a number of authorities to further strengthen the work of ensuring compliance with international sanctions. The purpose is to streamline the authorities' cooperation in the work to counter sanctions violations. Within the framework of that mandate, the Swedish Police Authority was also tasked with establishing a cooperation council to prevent, detect, investigate, and prosecute violations of EU sanctions.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the debate today. I hope that some of what has been highlighted today will result in further action on Sweden's part.
There is a consensus that the regime in Iran is a dangerous regime but also a regime that lacks respect for its own population and for human rights. It was not long ago that the regime in Iran planned to murder Jews here in Sweden. A few weeks ago, information emerged that the regime in Iran stole knowledge and technology from Swedish educational institutions.
This is a regime that is hostile in every way. In addition to shouting "death to the West" on Fridays, they also demonstrate in action that they act hostilely towards Western countries.
There is no reason to technologically strengthen the regime in Iran so that they can oppress the population even more than they have done in recent decades. Furthermore, it is deeply immoral to strengthen the oppression in Iran through the export of surveillance equipment, which is constantly becoming more advanced.
This immoral act must also become illegal, and it must apply to all surveillance equipment. There must be a regulatory framework in place that makes it impossible for companies to export all surveillance equipment to Iran.
It is very strange that such a regulatory framework is not already in place, because the need for sanctions that make all surveillance equipment impossible is great given the technological development.
I hope that the debate has nevertheless created an understanding of this issue and that the Foreign Minister will pay attention to this in his work going forward.
Utrikesministern Tobias Billström (M)
Madam Speaker! Thanks to the interpellator for a good debate!
I want to start by saying that the government assumes that all Swedish actors comply with applicable legislation, including the EU's sanctions. It is the companies themselves that have the responsibility to keep themselves informed about which sanctions and rules apply in the individual case and that these are followed. Any sanctions violations are investigated and prosecuted by the judicial authorities.
At the same time, the government naturally continues to follow the developments in Iran closely. The Swedish government is not under any illusions about the regime's character. It is also important that the rest of the world continues to pay attention to the situation in Iran.
Together with the rest of the EU and our international partners, Sweden continues to review our measures and to work for strong international pressure that effectively counters the repression, supports the people's demands for respect for human rights, and clearly signals that Iran's actions will have international consequences.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.