Response to interpellation 2025/26:279 on the government's support for the people's uprising against the regime in Iran

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! Daniel Riazat has asked me what I intend to do to support the people's uprising against the regime in Iran and in what way I and the government have been involved in the issue of Iran since the regime's crackdown on the "Woman, Life, Freedom" protests.

Let me begin by emphasizing that the government views the developments in Iran very seriously and the significant risk that exists for continued escalation in the region. The situation is rapidly changing and has major consequences for the Iranian population. Sweden's government stands behind the Iranian people's brave and long-standing struggle for human freedoms and rights, including freedom of expression and assembly, to be respected by the Iranian authorities.

The situation for human rights in Iran has long been very serious. This applies in particular to women and girls and to persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. The government has continuously – individually, within the EU and together with like-minded [partners] – reviewed how we can best support the Iranian population's legitimate demands for the enjoyment of their human rights.

The future of Iran must be decided by the country's population. It is precisely for that reason that it is crucial that people are allowed to freely express their opinions and that the population's legitimate demands are heeded. For this purpose, the government has, among other things, decided on 10 million kronor to support human rights defenders, democracy advocates, and actors who work for increased freedom of expression in Iran. Sweden will continue to support the Iranian people in their struggle for human freedoms and rights to be respected.

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

Daniel Riazat (-)

Mr. Speaker! I want to begin my speech by addressing the fact that it has now been two months since I submitted my interpellation. The proposed debate date was scheduled for April 24, which would have been three and a half months after I had submitted my interpellation. But when I announced that I would make a KU report against the minister, I received an email the next day stating that the debate would take place today.

It is a bit difficult to say thank you for the debate today. I would rather say that I would appreciate it if the ministers could follow the rules of procedure in the Riksdag when it comes to answers to interpellations. It is not the first time the rules have been broken against me. The last time I submitted an interpellation to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, it also took three months. Many members who had submitted questions several weeks after me received answers to their questions before I did. I hope that this is not repeated.

To the question itself.

Since I asked the question two months ago, several things have happened in Iran and in the region in general. I intended to divide my speech into two parts. One part will be about the regime and what happened in December and January, and the other part will be about what is happening in Iran today.

Since the brutal fundamentalist regime took over state power in 1979 after having hijacked a popular revolution against the then dictator, a king, the people have been subjected to acts in the form of persecution, torture, imprisonment, and executions. It can be called nothing other than barbarism. In addition, the state power has, through massive economic corruption, quotas in all sectors of society for regime loyalists, and thefts from the state treasury, contributed to worsening the economy for a large majority of the population.

The sanctions that the Western world has directed against Iran have primarily hit the people. They have also affected the economy in a wrong way, but the regime is responsible for the root cause of the economic problems.

In addition to this, the serious violations of human rights, including against women as well as ethnic and religious minorities, have been palpable. No one has been safe. Trade union groups have been attacked, and trade union leaders have been executed. When the people rose up against the regime under the slogan "woman, life, freedom" this past year, they were the largest protests in several decades. But the regime suppressed them with brutality and ruthlessness.

This time, an even larger group of people gathered on streets and squares all over Iran. From Baluchistan and Tehran to Kurdistan and other parts of Iran, people marched and literally stood in front of war munitions.

The figures can be discussed. There is talk of everything from 6,000 deaths to 50,000 deaths. 6,000 deaths are 6,000 too many, and 50,000 deaths are 50,000 too many.

I wonder where the Swedish government has been in its support for the people during all these years. To whom will the 10 million that the Swedish government has spoken about go? Why does the Swedish government not support initiatives to, for example, secure internet for the population, who are currently without internet? In what way will the Swedish government help human rights activists fighting for a free Iran even here in Sweden?

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

Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Right now, the USA and Israel are carrying out a humanitarian intervention in Iran that many hope will lead to a regime change. The outcome is unclear, but it is important that international law does not become a shield for mass atrocities. The Mollahs' regime has murdered tens of thousands of Iranians in recent weeks to maintain its grip on power. Now, the Iranian people are receiving the support they need to strike back against the oppressors.

When we stand before a historical crossroads where it is clear that democratic values stand against Islamist values, it is important that Sweden's government stands on the right side of history. There must be no doubt that Sweden stands on the side of the oppressed and against Islamism.

Most Iranians see the mullahs as occupiers, and military assistance from the USA and Israel in the form of an attack against the regime's center is the help that the Iranian people need to overthrow this dreadful regime. It was precisely such a military intervention that in 1999 stopped an ethnic cleansing of Kosovo Albanians and eventually led to Slobodan Milošević's fall.

Then it was called a humanitarian intervention, and now such a humanitarian intervention is being carried out in Iran. It is important that Sweden at least in words supports this intervention. Sweden must be clear in its support for the Iranian people's right to freedom, which can only be realized through regime change.

Mr. Speaker! Now that the regime in Iran is under pressure, there is a high probability that the mullahs' regime will begin to attack various targets in Sweden, but also in the rest of Europe, in pure desperation to silence the hundreds of thousands of exiled Iranians who have chosen to support their compatriots in Iran.

We know that the regime in Iran cooperates with gang criminals in Sweden to eliminate various actors that the mullahs' regime views as a threat. The leader of the Foxtrot network lives in Iran and is protected by the mullahs' regime.

Yesterday, news came out that the Iran expert Arvin Khoshnood was subjected to an attempted murder by gang criminals in Sweden. He is now living in a secret location. That Iran would use gang criminals to harm Swedish citizens is not something that could possibly happen, but it is happening and it hits honest people only because they have expressed criticism of a horrific regime in Iran. It is happening today.

I have known Arvin since he was 16 years old. He is an honest person who has built a life in Malmö and started a family. Both he and his wife work and contribute to society. But he also stands up for democracy. And therefore, he is now living in a secret location and has had to interrupt his entire life. His life is threatened by this regime in Iran, even though he lives in Sweden.

I have known about these events for a while, but I am still shocked. I have always assumed that we in Sweden have been able to criticize dictatorships. But the Mullorn regime seems to be able to silence Swedish citizens through threats and terror. Arvin Khoshnood has had to be silent for a while to protect his family here in Sweden. It is unacceptable that it needs to be that way.

I would like to know what the government intends to do to protect Iranian dissidents and other targets of the mullahs' regime who are located here in Sweden?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! We are seeing a very serious development of events in Iran and a dangerous spread in the wider region. Iran bears a great responsibility for the negative development and for security risks also in the West.

The government has condemned Iran's attacks against neighboring countries in the Middle East, and further regional escalation must be avoided. The situation is increasingly developing into a regional major war, the consequences of which in the short and long term are very difficult to oversee.

For many, hopes are now awakened that this can lead to a more democratic Iran that lives in peace with neighbors and the rest of the world. At the same time, there are significant risks, which in the worst case risk leading to increased regional instability and chaos.

Sweden has for a long time stood up for the Iranian people's legitimate demands for respect for human freedoms and rights. This naturally includes the right to freely express one's opinions. Together with the EU, we continuously review our possibilities to maintain pressure on the Iranian regime. An important step was when the EU on 19 February decided to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, under the EU's sanctions regime against terrorism. Sweden has worked for this for a long time. It was also preceded by decisions on new listings of persons and entities who have been involved in the repression in various ways.

Another example is that the EU's Iran policy was significantly tightened, including with expanded sanctions, following the repression of the protests that followed Mahsa Amini's death in 2022.

The government has clearly condemned the extensive deadly violence directed against peaceful demonstrators and the large-scale arbitrary arrests that have followed in the wake of the repression. The Iranian regime's obligation to respect the Iranian people's right to freedom of expression and assembly, including access to information and the internet, was also underscored when we called the Iranian ambassador on 14 January. Sweden has also conveyed this in multilateral forums.

Where has the government been? That is what the interpellator asks. At least we have not been in Iran in a veil. In addition to everything I have accounted for, we have called Iran's ambassador to the UD once again, on March 4. And we are working for further EU sanctions, including under the special regime due to the MR situation in Iran. 19 listings of 16 individuals and 3 entities are expected to be adopted at FAC on Monday. We are also co-sponsors of Bahrain's Security Council resolution on Iran.

As I said in my first answer, we have also decided on additional support for democracy and freedom of speech fighters. It is distributed via Sida. But we cannot go into detail as to who it goes to, because it is very sensitive and can also entail risks for the recipients. But I am of the firm opinion that more EU countries should support in the way that we do and have done.

Finally, I want to clarify that this debate time was initially offered for this debate. But the intention was that this interpellation debate would be merged with another with a similar question. Since the other interpellator could not, we suggested a future date. But I am glad that we can at least have this debate here today.

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

Daniel Riazat (-)

Mr. Speaker! I will begin by commenting on Member Nima Gholam Ali Pour's contribution from the rostrum. It is very true, as I myself have also said here in the rostrum earlier, a brutal regime that mass-murders and executes its population and that persecutes Iranians abroad. But I do not want to be associated under any circumstances with a member who participates in protests where people scream "Death to leftists" and "Death to people who say jin, jiyan, azadi", which means woman, life, freedom. It is precisely those types of demonstrations that Nima Gholam Ali Pour participates in. I do not want to be associated at all with those types of fascist forces, which are now also trying to hijack the protests against the Iranian regime.

With that said, I shall proceed to the Minister's answer.

It is very good if one supports democracy activists in Iran. I understand that it is sensitive and that one cannot always go out with exactly who it concerns, because repression is ongoing at the highest level. But it is still important that the Riksdag can monitor these types of issues. One person's democracy activist can, in fact, be another person's oppressor.

In order to be able to know that this type of money goes to the right and democratic bodies or individuals, such as those who do not run errands for Donald Trump or Netanyahu, who themselves have very much blood on their hands, one simply needs to know what the requirements are and how it has been decided that this money should be distributed.

I also did not receive any answer to the question about the internet. It is a very important question for the people in Iran. We know that Swedish companies have helped the regime with eavesdropping on the population and with having various types of repressive methods even digitally. I have also spoken about this in this speaker's chair previously. Why can the Swedish government and Swedish companies not take the initiative to instead help the people in their struggle by letting them have free internet? It is possible with today's very modern technology, which Sweden also possesses.

For me, this question is partly about a regime that mass-executes and persecutes people. But the regime has also subjected the people to an economic situation that means that one actually no longer has either a working class or a middle class. A large proportion of the people are today an underclass due to the severe inflation, which, as mentioned, is due to both the enormous corruption and the sanctions.

I am also here to talk about what is happening right now. The Foreign Minister condemned only Iran in this case. I mean that the only way for those of us who stand up for democracy is to both condemn the Iranian regime for its brutality and strongly distance ourselves from the illegal attacks taking place, primarily against the civilian population. 95 percent of those who have died so far in Iran during Israel's and the USA's illegal bombings over the past weeks have been civilian targets.

Of course I woke up, as an Iranian who has had to flee my country, with a smile in the morning when I heard that Khamenei was dead. But I do not wake up with a smile, but crying, when I hear that the rest of the world accepts an illegal war of aggression that primarily affects civilian people.

One must be able to juggle several things at once. I do not hear the Foreign Minister doing that. Therefore, I simply wonder: How does the Foreign Minister view the illegal attacks that have occurred? I know what the government thinks about Iran's bombings.

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

Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Mr. Speaker! One area where Sweden can exert influence is the government's authority to decide whom Sweden talks to and whom Sweden sees as the representative of the Iranian people. It is positive that the Islamic Republic's most important armed force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, has been blacklisted as a terrorist organization. This has been welcomed by all parties in the Riksdag.

At the same time, the Islamic Republic is allowed to keep its embassy in Sweden. It is contradictory. The IRGC permeates the Iranian state. If the IRGC are terrorists, the mullahs' regime is a terror regime. Sweden should not have dialogue with a terror regime.

To this, it can be added that the Iranian regime's embassy enables terrorism and espionage in Sweden. It is not an unreasonable demand that the regime's embassy should be closed, given that the regime threatens the lives of certain people in Sweden. I urge the Foreign Minister again: Close this terror regime's embassy!

Mr. Speaker! There is strong support among Iranians for Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi. The Foreign Minister's party colleagues in the Moderate Youth League have acknowledged this and urge the Swedish government to formally initiate a dialogue with and recognize Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi as the legitimate unifying opposition leader for a future democratic Iran. At the same time, Vice Prime Minister Ebba Busch announced during the question period on March 5 that she is prepared to meet Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi.

I wonder if the Foreign Minister, or rather the Vice Prime Minister, can imagine meeting Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi to initiate a dialogue.

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! To begin with, it is the Iranian population that shall decide on its own future – it is not Sweden that is to do so. On the other hand, we shall, of course, support the Iranian population so that they are allowed to freely express their opinions and the country can develop into a democracy.

The government decided, as mentioned, on 5 February to allocate 10 million kronor to support human rights defenders, democracy advocates, and actors working for increased freedom of expression in Iran. More should, as mentioned, do as we do.

Regarding the interpellator's question about the internet, Sweden, through the Freedom Online Coalition together with 26 other like-minded countries, has made a specific statement regarding the internet shutdowns, where the serious consequences were clearly emphasized. In the statement, one also reminded of Iran's international commitments regarding freedom of expression and assembly and the right to information, and one called for the restoration of the internet.

Sweden also stood behind the request to convene a special session of the UN Human Rights Council. In the resolution adopted at the session, among other things, the internet shutdown was highlighted. The mandates for the UN Special Rapporteur for Iran and the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Iran, FFMI, were extended. FFMI was also tasked with conducting an urgent investigation of the ongoing and recently committed violations, among other things, in order to be able to contribute to accountability.

The Government views very seriously the information that has emerged regarding a suspected attempted murder directed against a Swedish-Iranian. Charges will be filed shortly, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will not comment further on this at this stage but refers to the Prosecution Authority.

Säpo has previously stated that Iran conducts security-threatening activities in Sweden. We do not tolerate that type of Iranian actions to destabilize Sweden or conduct terrorist activities. That is precisely why Sweden has campaigned to have the Islamic Revolutionary Guard listed as a terrorist organization, which, as mentioned, was recently agreed upon.

This matter of diplomacy is difficult. Sweden has diplomatic relations with a number of countries where the system of government and the politics do not align with our values – this also applies to Iran. We have this in order to be able to act in matters important to Sweden, for example our consular cases. This also gives us the opportunity to convey clear messages and sharp criticism regarding the regime's actions. The government has also done this on a number of occasions recently, including by summoning the ambassador.

Closing the Iranian embassy would likely lead to the fact that neither would Sweden's embassy in Tehran be able to continue to operate. It would risk having serious consequences for Swedish citizens and their security. It is therefore a difficult trade-off that must be made here.

The government will, of course, continue to work towards increased pressure on the Iranian regime, not least through intensified sanction pressure and accountability for the violations of human rights.

Finally, regarding international law, I have several times expressed that it is difficult to see that the actions of the USA and Israel would be compatible with international law and the prohibition on the use of force. I note that there is a very limited scope in international law when it comes to the use of force for the protection of civilians in a country. This can, of course, be discussed.

But one thing is absolutely clear: Iran must not develop nuclear weapons, nor may it pose a threat to its surrounding region by developing and possessing ballistic missiles. This is, therefore, a very difficult balancing act. But Iran certainly poses a threat to us and to the West.

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

Daniel Riazat (-)

Mr. Speaker! Once upon a time, Sweden had foreign ministers who could both clearly distance themselves from dictatorships and speak clearly regarding international law. I can state that we are no longer in that situation. We have a foreign minister who absolutely expresses a very well-founded concern for the regime's brutality towards the population but who cannot clearly say here that she condemns the attacks by the USA and Israel, which have primarily killed civilians.

I want to begin by saying that the struggle for a free Iran should, as the Minister said, lie in the hands of the people. No one other than the people in Iran shall decide this. But for it to be able to be realized, clear condemnations and a stop to the bombings taking place right now, which primarily affect civilians, are also needed. That requires ministers, such as the Foreign Minister here, to be clear on that point.

I hope to one day see an Iran where the mullahs' crowns fall just as the monarchs' crowns did. I hope that people can live in peace and freedom and that women do not become third-class citizens. I hope to return and visit my homeland, where people have been oppressed for many years.

For this to be realized, it is required that we stand up against the Iranian regime but also against the imperialist states that today are in the process of murdering civilians in Iran. As I said earlier, I do not want to be associated at all with the type of movements that support this brutality, where schoolgirls are being mass murdered in their school. What does the Foreign Minister think about the fact that the USA has mass-murdered schoolgirls in the way that has been done?

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Mr. Speaker! The situation in Iran and the region is very uncertain. The conflict has escalated and spread, and its consequences are difficult to oversee. For many, hopes are naturally being awakened now that this could lead to a more democratic Iran. At the same time, there are significant risks that, in the worst-case scenario, the situation leads to internal conflicts and increased regional instability.

We may have different opinions on different parts of this very difficult issue, but I welcome the strong commitment that exists for the situation in Iran here in the Riksdag. Sweden stands behind the Iranian population's striving for a better future and their demands for respect for human civil and political rights, including freedom of expression and assembly. Iran's future must be determined by the Iranian people, and the government always condemns attacks on civilians.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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