Response to interpellation 2024/25:747 on dialogue with the Iranian opposition in exile
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
1 M notes that the situation regarding human rights in Iran is very serious 1. 1 M raises this in bilateral contacts and works together with the EU for international pressure against the repression 1. 2 M emphasizes that Sweden recognizes states and not governments, but that Sweden and the EU clearly mark their opposition to Iran's repression through sanctions 2. 2 M condemns the death penalty and emphasizes that a negotiated solution is the best way to handle Iran's nuclear program 2. 2 M argues that Sweden and the EU are working to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard under the EU's sanctions regime against terrorism 2. 3 M argues that Sweden has a regular dialogue with actors who fight for human rights in Iran 3. 4 M emphasizes that Sweden continues to put pressure on the regime through diplomatic channels, the EU, and a tough sanctions pressure 4. 4 M argues that there is no contradiction between having contacts with Iran and being tough on the country 4. 5 SD considers that the regime should be met with isolation, sanctions, and support for those who fight for freedom 5. 6 SD argues that Sweden should initiate a dialogue with opposition forces in exile to counter the regime's terrorist activities 6.
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 Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! Nima Gholam Ali Pour has asked me how I and the government view the developments in Iran and its impact on Sweden's and the EU's relations with the Iranian regime, what measures Sweden is taking to strengthen the dialogue with the Iranian opposition, and whether I and the government are considering, in line with the handling of Venezuela, to support a democratic opposition.
As the government has noted in several previous interpellation answers, and also in answers to parliamentary questions, the situation regarding human rights in Iran continues to be very serious. We have, for example, seen a worrying increase in the number of death sentences during the past year and a hardening repression in many areas in the wake of both the demonstrations following Jina Amini's death in 2022 and the conflict with Israel. At the same time, Iran bears a great responsibility for the negative developments both in the Middle East and for security risks in the West.
The government regularly raises the serious situation in Iran – not least for women and girls as well as ethnic and religious minorities – in bilateral contacts at various levels, including in my talks at the foreign minister level.
Together with other EU and international partners, Sweden continues to work for strong international pressure, which effectively counters repression and supports individuals' and people's legitimate demands for respect for their human rights.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! The Iranian regime is crumbling. The twelve-day war between Iran and Israel revealed how corrupt and failed the mullahs' regime is. Despite much of Iran's resources being allocated for weapons and support to terrorist organizations, the country had hardly any defense to counter Israel's attacks, and Israel also succeeded in carrying out attacks from within Iran. The terrorist organizations that the mullahs' regime had supported for decades were largely wiped out.
Apart from the fact that the Iranian regime's military doctrine has proven to be worthless, the regime's ideology also has no rooting among the population. The Muslim veil, which at one time was an attribute for rural dwellers and very religious women in Iran, has today become a symbol of violent oppression. I am quite certain that on the day this regime falls, many women in Iran will burn their veils. The Mollahs' regime has awakened a strong hatred towards Islam among the population that did not exist before, and this is a clear sign of how the regime's ideology lacks legitimacy among large parts of the population.
This is also noticeable among Iranians who go abroad. They are often very critical of Islam. One can actually seriously ask whether Iran will remain a Muslim country at all after this regime falls. Economically, ideologically, in terms of trust, and geopolitically, the mullahs' regime has no future. This should be clear even for the Foreign Minister.
The question is when Western countries will turn to an alternative instead of conducting talks with a regime that for a very long time has shown that it is not interested in peace. That is why I have asked the Foreign Minister if the possibility exists that the government supports a democratic opposition instead of legitimizing the Mullahs' regime. If one chooses to continue the dialogue with the Mullahs' regime, one may wonder what the Foreign Minister and Sweden get out of such a dialogue.
This is a regime that has taken several Swedes hostage and tortured them. They are still holding a Swedish citizen hostage in Iran.
It has long been obvious that this regime only understands one language, and that is violence. They use violence to achieve their goals, and they do not understand anything other than violence. Therefore, one may wonder what Sweden can achieve by continuing to engage in dialogue with such a regime.
This is an isolated regime that uses diplomatic relations with countries like Sweden to legitimize its existence and its values. We saw this during the Social Democratic government when the mullahs' regime insisted that Swedish female ministers and state secretaries should wear a veil when they visited Iran. It is about legitimizing a women-hostile oppression through diplomatic relations with countries that are perceived as equals. From the regime's side, they want to convey to the Iranian population that the world accepts the Islamist oppression and that the outside world does not support the protests in Iran.
Therefore, continued relations with this fragile regime are problematic and become a crutch for this regime. I would be grateful if the Foreign Minister could explain what Sweden gains from a dialogue with the regime of the mullahs instead of initiating a dialogue with forces that want democracy, peace, and freedom.
Sara Gille (SD)
Madam Speaker! Iran is not ruled by a government. It is ruled by a bloody Islamist sect, a terror apparatus. They hang youths from lamp posts. They imprison women because they refuse to wear a veil. They torture dissidents to death. It is a prison for almost 90 million people.
Amnesty and the UN report that at least 853 people were executed in Iran in 2023, 975 during 2024, and already over 840 this year. It is the highest level in a decade. Iran is also one of the countries in the world that executes the most women. More than half of the executions concern alleged drug crimes, often after sham trials without a lawyer and with coerced confessions. The UN also shows that Baloch and Kurds are disproportionately affected, and Iran is one of the few countries that still execute minors. Children as young as 17 years old have been hanged. It is state-sanctioned child murder.
Madam Speaker! Let us call it by its true name: the Islamist regime in Tehran is a crime against humanity. Opinion polls show that an overwhelming majority of Iranians reject the mullahs' regime. When 80 percent say no to Islamism and are still met with bullets and hangings, it is clearer than ever that the mullahs do not represent the people.
At the same time, the regime tries to silence its people even digitally. After the protests in 2022, the internet was shut down in entire provinces to prevent people from organizing and the world from seeing the abuses.
Madam Speaker! Iran is today not only a threat to its own people. The Revolutionary Guard's Quds Force arms and supports Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. Their rockets, bombs, and acts of terrorism bear the fingerprints of the mullahs.
The threat also reaches us. The Revolutionary Guard has planned and carried out attacks in Denmark, France, and Germany. Säpo has warned of Iranian networks even here in Sweden, where regime critics live under threat. The USA has already designated the Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. Why has the EU not done the same? The EU has imposed sanctions against over 230 individuals and 44 organizations, but the line must be sharpened further. International pressure only works when it is backed up by clear national initiatives.
Madam Speaker! A regime that hangs its citizens, oppresses minorities, exports terror around the world and uses the judiciary as a weapon for persecution does not deserve to be normalized. It deserves isolation. Sweden must recognize the opposition's role, open channels for exile organizations and provide political support to the forces fighting for freedom. It requires courage, it requires will and it requires action. When will the government stop hiding behind diplomatic phrases and instead clearly and distinctly declare that Iran's regime is illegitimate and that Sweden stands on the side of the people?
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! To begin with, regarding Nima Gholam Ali Pour's reference to Venezuela, it is important to emphasize that Sweden recognizes states as such and not governments.
With this said, the developments in Iran are naturally deeply worrying. There are major deficiencies regarding respect for human rights, and peaceful demonstrations are being harshly suppressed. All those who, despite these obstacles, stand up for democracy, freedom, equality, and gender equality naturally deserve Sweden's full support.
Sweden and the EU have therefore repeatedly signaled clearly against Iran's repression, for example through tightened sanctions against those who in serious and systematic ways violate human rights in Iran or on behalf of the Iranian regime. Those who commit or enable such acts shall have their assets frozen, and they shall be prevented from entering the EU; they are not welcome here. The Government also continues to work towards EU unity to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, under the EU's sanctions regime against terrorism.
When it comes to the question of diplomatic contacts, an important area is Iran's nuclear program. Sweden and the EU have been very clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop or acquire nuclear weapons. A negotiated solution is the best and most sustainable way to handle that issue, and we call for the resumption of such negotiations. There, the EU and the major European countries also play a very important role.
Then I want to emphasize what Sara Gille said about the death penalty. It is inhumane and irreversible, and Sweden, together with the rest of the EU, condemns its application under all circumstances. The development in Iran regarding the death penalty is very worrying. We raise this both in our bilateral talks with Iranian representatives, in EU statements, and within the UN system. This is an issue that we, of course, follow very closely.
Finally, I want to comment on Sara Gilles' point regarding Iranian security-threatening activities in Sweden. That state actors, in this case Iran, are conducting security-threatening activities according to Säpos assessment is very serious and naturally completely unacceptable. The government has conveyed this to Iran on repeated occasions, even at a political level. We also conduct a dialogue on these issues with our allies and partners within the EU and Nato.
We are also conducting continued, unremitting work so that Ahmadreza Djalali shall be released for humanitarian reasons.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! Just a few days ago, a scientific article by Ardavan Khoshnood was published, in which he describes how the regime in Iran has begun to use criminal groups to carry out terrorist attacks in other countries. Even though we have only seen this in Sweden in recent years, the regime of the mullahs has worked in this way for a long time. Already in 2011, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard tried to use a drug cartel to assassinate Saudi Arabia's ambassador in the USA.
This is not a sign of desperation, but it is a deliberate strategy from the Iranian regime. It is about the mullahs' regime wanting to use perpetrators of violence in other countries, who have a certain cultural anchoring and furthermore the right to reside in the country. The regime in Iran can also hide its involvement by using criminal groups. Already in 2024, the Security Police announced that the regime in Iran uses these methods in Sweden.
This is one of many despicable methods that the regime in Iran uses in Sweden. Another is to make use of Shia Muslim organizations and mosques. It can clearly be said that the regime in Iran has no respect whatsoever for Swedish sovereignty and has time and again tried to carry out terrorist attacks in Sweden. It is also important to mention in this context that there are today people in Sweden who have police protection because they are threatened by the regime of the mullahs.
This is obviously not just something that affected Sweden. A year ago, the regime in Iran carried out attacks against a café and a synagogue in Australia. I would say that there is no foreign power that has used as much violence both in Sweden and in the rest of the Western world in recent years as the regime of the mullahs.
The question is: When do we reach the point where we stop holding conversations with these perpetrators of violence and start holding conversations with a democratic opposition that wants peace in the Middle East but also respects international law? I mean that we passed that point a long time ago and that the conversations and dialogue with the Mullahs' regime should have been broken off a long time ago. It is obvious that the Mullahs' regime has no respect whatsoever for its counterparts. If the Mullahs' regime uses criminal networks in Sweden to carry out terrorist attacks, they have no respect whatsoever for the Foreign Minister, the government, or the Swedish people.
I do not think it is so controversial to say that this regime should not be welcome in Sweden and that there is nothing to talk about as long as this regime continues to use criminal networks in Sweden. It is not a controversial statement. When an opposition in exile emerges against this regime, it is also not controversial to initiate a dialogue with this opposition.
In the end, it is about Swedish citizens being able to live a safer life, regardless of whether they are in Sweden or traveling to Iran. The Mollah's regime threatens Swedish citizens in Sweden through its cooperation with criminal networks. At the same time, we know that Swedish citizens can be taken as hostages in Iran – it has happened time and again. It becomes strange when conversations are held with a regime that so openly shows that it harms Swedish citizens and lacks all respect for the security in Sweden.
Sara Gille (SD)
Madam Speaker! When dictatorships are met with clear positions, their grip on power has begun to falter. We saw it in Venezuela when the EU recognized the opposition and in South Africa when the apartheid regime was isolated. The same applies in Iran. A regime that loses its international legitimacy also loses its strength.
But Iran is not falling only because of its brutality. The regime is bankrupt. Inflation stands at 40 percent, and the currency has lost over 90 percent of its value since 2018. According to the World Bank, around 30 percent of the population lives in poverty. At the same time, the Revolutionary Guard controls large parts of the economy and enriches its own leaders while ordinary people cannot afford bread or medicine. It starves its own people but finances wars abroad, with weapons to Hezbollah and Hamas and drones to Russia.
Sweden should therefore immediately recognize the opposition's legitimacy, provide security guarantees for regime critics in exile, and introduce harsher sanctions against the regime's key figures. A regime that enslaves women and kills its own children has no right to rule.
Madam Speaker! The regime in Tehran must not be met with mere dialogue. It must be met with isolation, sanctions, and open support for those who fight for freedom. I therefore ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs: When does the government intend to take that step?
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! I want to be very clear that Sweden has a regular dialogue with various actors who fight for the human rights of the Iranian people to be respected, including civil society organizations. A valuable arena for this is the UN, where there are several forums and mechanisms. There, Sweden can, together with like-minded parties and in dialogue with, among others, Iranian civil society organizations in exile, regularly hold Iran accountable.
It concerns, among other things, the annual resolution in the UN General Assembly on human rights in Iran, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, and the independent investigative mechanism which has the mandate to investigate events in Iran and also enable accountability, which is important.
Another example is that both the Prime Minister and the Minister for Culture met Taghi Rahmani, husband of the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and himself a prominent regime critic, to discuss the situation in Iran in connection with him receiving the Nobel Prize on behalf of Narges.
I also want to highlight that there are good reasons to maintain a dialogue, not least when it concerns consular cases. Even though we abhor that Iran detains Swedish citizens, we need to do everything in our power to ensure they are released, and this government is doing so.
Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)
Madam Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the debate. It emerged, in any case, that we have different opinions.
There was previously a foreign policy pursued in Sweden where there was the hope that the mullahs' regime would be reformed and that Sweden would then develop a good relationship with the regime in Iran. But that foreign policy is obsolete. Today we see clearly that the regime in Iran will be overthrown, either in the short term through external actors intervening or in the long term through a popular uprising.
There is no future for the regime. It is a weak regime that has hardly any legitimacy and whose power is entirely based on violence. Such a government usually falls sooner or later, as we saw in Syria. It happened quite quickly.
In such a situation, Sweden should take the lead and initiate a dialogue with the opposition forces that exist in exile. Almost all of them are democratic and fight for human rights. These are forces that share a community of values with Sweden and the Western world. For Sweden to extend a hand to democratic forces that want to see a regime change in Iran is the answer that Sweden needs to give the regime in Tehran, given the terrorist activities that the regime conducts in Sweden.
I can guarantee the Foreign Minister that continued passivity will result in the regime of the mullahs continuing to take undue liberties in Sweden and ultimately succeeding in carrying out a terrorist attack where Swedish citizens are harmed.
Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)
Madam Speaker! I want to begin by thanking the interpellor for raising this important issue, which truly deserves to be debated. I welcome the fact that there is a strong commitment in the Riksdag and in Sweden for the freedom and rights of the Iranian people.
It is important that the rest of the world also continues to pay attention to what is happening in Iran. Sweden continues to contribute to strong international pressure against Iran. We do this through direct diplomatic channels and critical dialogue, through the EU, where Sweden continues to work for a powerful and united Iran policy, including heavy sanctions, and through the various mechanisms of the UN system. The goal of everything we do is to influence the situation and achieve a real change for people in Iran.
I think this debate is based on a false premise. It is based on the idea that there would be a contradiction between having contacts with and being tough towards Iran. That is not the case.
Sweden will continue to put pressure on the Iranian regime. We will continue to work for a tough sanctions pressure. We will continue to work for accountability for the human rights violations that the regime has committed and continues to commit. And we will say exactly what we think directly to Iran.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.