Response to interpellations 2025/26:269 and 274 on the terrorist listing of Iran's Revolutionary Guard and the popular protests in Iran

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! Alexandra Völker has asked me what I and the government intend to do to actualize the issue of listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard in the EU and to increase the pressure on the Iranian regime.

Håkan Svenneling has asked me if I and the government intend to summon Iran's ambassador in connection with the Iranian regime's actions regarding the recent demonstrations and how we intend to work for expanded sanctions against responsible persons in the regime and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard. He has also asked me if we intend to break the agreements signed between Sweden and Iran in 2017 as well as what measures the government intends to take to strengthen the protection for persons in Sweden who risk being subjected to threats, surveillance, or harassment from the Iranian regime.

The Government condemns the deadly violence and the large-scale, arbitrary detentions that have occurred in the wake of the protests. We stand behind the Iranian people who are exercising their human rights, including the freedom of expression and assembly. We have strongly signaled this to Iran, including when the Iranian ambassador was summoned to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on 14 January.

The situation regarding human rights in Iran has long been very serious, especially concerning the situation for women and persons belonging to ethnic and religious minorities. Sweden itself, in the EU and together with other like-minded countries, has consistently condemned the Iranian authorities' violations of human rights in Iran. This has occurred in statements and in direct talks with Iranian representatives, including at the ministerial level.

Due to the deadly violence against protesters and the arbitrary detentions that have taken place, the pressure on the Iranian regime must increase further. Sweden is therefore pushing for the EU to introduce new sanctions against regime representatives who have been involved in the repression in recent times. We want to see new sanction listings adopted as early as the next meeting of the foreign ministers at the end of January.

The government has for a longer period worked to list Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, under the EU's sanctions regime against terrorism. It is a line that even a unanimous Riksdag has stood behind in its declaration from May 2023. The government has raised the issue both in the European Council, in the EU's foreign ministers' meetings and at the expert group level. Recent events will hopefully provide new momentum to the issue, which I will also raise at the EU's next foreign ministers' meeting.

The Government takes the issue of protection for persons in Sweden who risk being subjected to threats, surveillance, or harassment from the Iranian regime most seriously. The Security Service has a clear mandate to counter foreign intelligence activities and to reduce security-threatening activities directed against individuals. The Government has a close dialogue with the relevant authorities to ensure that these threats are handled effectively.

Regarding the non-binding agreements concluded with Iran in 2017 by the Social Democratic government, I want to emphasize that the agreements were not legally binding contracts but merely declarations of intent. Due to the negative developments in Iran, very limited cooperation has occurred within the framework of these agreements since they were concluded. The government has no plans to resume or promote economic relations that could benefit the Iranian regime.

In this speech, Jan Ericson (M) agreed.

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

Alexandra Völker (S)

Madam Speaker! I want to begin by thanking the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer. I also want to thank all of you who have come here today to show your support for how important this issue is. I know it doesn't show on TV at home, but the usually so empty gallery here in the plenary hall is now filled with people who are here to show just how important it is that we stand up against the regime in Iran.

(Applause)

Since I submitted my interpellation before Christmas, we have now once again witnessed how the Iranian regime uses its capital of violence against the people and to maintain its control over the country – or at least try to. Over 12,000 people have been murdered. People have been injured and imprisoned. This is a regime that has no legitimacy whatsoever. The only thing it has is its capital of violence. It has shut down the entire internet in order to be able to exercise brutal violence against its population without the scrutiny of the outside world.

Despite this, we see how people bravely demonstrate and stand up against the regime. We have seen countless examples just during the recent years, and we see it now again on a large scale with the ongoing protests, the largest in several decades.

To go out and demonstrate against a regime that consistently uses brutal violence to suppress all opposition is incredibly brave. We must hear the people's will for change and freedom. The Iranian people have shown incredible courage and deserve for us to be brave in return.

We know that Iran is a totalitarian regime that uses its capital of violence to try to maintain control. We know that they practice gender apartheid. We know that the regime poses a threat not only to its own population but also to us here in Sweden and to our surrounding world. We know that the Revolutionary Guard acts beyond Iran's borders. We know that they have recruited Swedish gang criminals to carry out acts here in Sweden and to run their errands on Swedish soil. We know that the regime has committed a serious data breach and sent out SMS messages to 15,000 Swedes for the purpose of creating division here in Sweden.

At the end of last year, reports also emerged that hackers linked to Iran's intelligence service have allegedly used Swedish companies to carry out cyberattacks across Europe.

We here in this chamber are in complete agreement: Iran's Revolutionary Guard acts as a terrorist organization and should therefore be classified as such. Just the number of members participating in this debate shows exactly how united the Riksdag is on that issue.

That the Revolutionary Guard is a state actor distinguishes it from the terrorist organizations we have seen previously. We can, however, state that much in international politics differs from how it has functioned before. I hope that the EU's member states now, especially in light of the recent protests, are ready to clearly take a stand against the Iranian regime.

I hope that we can now have a good debate and discussion here on how we, from the Swedish side and from the EU side, can clearly signal to the Iranian regime: Enough is enough! I also hope that we can finally reach a decision to put Iran's Revolutionary Guard on the terror list.

(Applause)

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

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

It is absolutely fantastic that we have such a large and wonderful audience in the stands today. However, I must be tedious and announce that it is only the members who are allowed to applaud, not you who are sitting in the stands. You may applaud in your hearts.

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

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Madam Speaker! The Islamist regime in Iran is currently waging a brutal war against its own population, people who demand democracy, economic stability, and an end to the rule of the mullahs and kleptocracy. They want respect for basic human freedoms and rights without being met with ruthless violence and brutal murder.

The nationwide protests that broke out at the end of last year were directed against the entire Islamist power structure. The security forces have responded with mass arrests, tear gas, and lethal live ammunition. Since the regime shut down the entire internet and all telephony, it is difficult to know how many people have been arrested or killed, but according to international organizations, it could be 10,000–20,000 people. Each one of them is someone's child, someone's parent, or someone's sibling – people whose only crime is demanding freedom.

The media reports that have now emerged mention the incredible figure that over 300,000 have been injured in the protests. A large proportion of the country's Swedes are now glued to their screens and follow the news feed from Iran with rising anxiety and horror. Since the internet was shut down, it has been impossible to get in contact with loved ones to hear their voices and find out how they are doing. Shutting down the internet has become the regime's new weapon to prevent the rest of the world from learning what is happening. An open internet and open communication channels are an absolute necessity. The EU must take the measures it can to ensure that the internet is reopened in Iran.

Many Swedes are stuck in the horrific situation in Iran after visiting relatives and friends and need immediate consular assistance to get home. The testimonies reaching us now are horrific. People tell how they have seen protesters shot at close range and how relatives have been forced to search through hundreds of body bags to find loved ones. To have the bodies handed over, large sums of money or concessions to the regime are often required.

Doctors testify that the security forces directed their violence particularly towards the protesters' faces and eyes. A regime that is so far gone that it murders its own citizens will never be reformed. It must be disrupted. It must be abolished.

The killings on Iran's streets must be stopped. The Revolutionary Guard, IRGC, must be designated as a terrorist organization by the EU and all political prisoners must be released. Vänsterpartiet demands that the government and the EU act in support of the Iranian people. The Iranian regime has for decades committed gross human rights violations through imprisonment, torture, and brutal violence against its own population. Women, youth, and ethnic and religious minorities are particularly hard hit.

Reports from human rights organizations indicate that the number of executions during 2025 were the highest in a very long time. Those responsible for the violence must be held accountable. Vänsterpartiet wants to see targeted sanctions at the EU and UN level against key figures within the Iranian leadership as soon as possible. This must be decided at the meeting of the foreign ministers in the EU on Monday.

The Iranian regime continues to play a destabilizing role in the region through the IRGC and affiliated militias in the Middle East and through support for Russia's warfare in Ukraine. This links domestic repression with a pattern of regional aggression, which also affects European and Swedish security.

The freedom of the Iranian people must not become a pawn in a geopolitical game; instead, the Iranian people must be allowed to decide their own future. It is only in this way that a real democratic development can take shape. The brave people protesting in Iran must receive the world's support. The Left Party stands behind Iran's hard-tested people. The regime must fall. The Iranian people deserve their freedom. Therefore, one still cries: Woman, life, freedom! Azadi for the Iranian people!

(Applause)

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

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

I unfortunately must remind again that it is only the members who are allowed to applaud. According to the rules of procedure, those in the gallery are not allowed to applaud.

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

Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! Sahba Rastian, 23 years old, a referee in women's football. Arnika Dabbaq, 19 years old, a promising young swimmer. Mohammad Hajipour, 33 years old, goalkeeper in the Iranian beach soccer national team. Robina Aminian, 23 years old, a young woman who dreamed of pursuing fashion styling and design.

These are four names of at least 20,000 dead. Their crime: The hope for a different future, the will to live in freedom and democracy. Their lives have been extinguished by the bloodthirsty autocrats in the Islamic regime.

This could have happened because the rest of the world has not acted when it has been possible. The Riksdag has unanimously stood behind the demand that the revolution guard be blacklisted as a terrorist organization. That decision was made already four years ago – 2022. Since then, the struggle has continued, and the government has been slow to act. We can still see no signs whatsoever that the government has been driving towards other EU countries to obtain a terrorist listing of the revolution guard.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has today presented the measures that are intended to be taken going forward, but I would like to hear the Minister for Foreign Affairs account for which measures have been taken so far. Which countries have been spoken with? In what way has one actively pushed within the EU to achieve a terrorist classification of the revolutionary guard?

We also need to take measures here and now to make the internet and communication with the outside world available for the Iranian people. As long as they cannot communicate with the outside world, the crimes can continue to be committed by the Islamic regime without us being able to react and act on them. Proper documentation of all crimes that have been committed during the protests and previously is also needed.

The Islamic regime must be held accountable. The Iranian regime's tyranny must be overthrown. The time has come. The voice of the Iranian people must be heard, and it is time to act. It is time for Sweden to take its responsibility.

(Applause)

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

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

I must ask for silence in the gallery. As I said, I am glad that so many are listening, but I hope that everyone can respect the rules of order.

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

Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Madam Speaker, honorable ministers, honorable members and observers! On the way into the Riksdag this morning, I thought about the last long conversation I had with my father. He was lying in a hospice in Uppsala. He had been lying there for a few weeks. During that last long conversation, he opened up about the fear of the regime that had characterized his life after the revolution in 1979. He was convinced that the day that fear is defeated by the Iranian people, the Islamist regime will also fall. That was the last conversation we had, and then he fell silent. Two months later, he left this world.

This conversation has left an impression on me. I believe that many who are here in the chamber have always dreamed that the fear created by the regime would one day be defeated by the people, and that millions of people would come out onto the streets and squares and defeat the regime. That is exactly what has happened during the weeks we have behind us.

The protests began during the last days of 2025. They grew across different cities and different social classes. When the opposition, led by Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, called for large mass demonstrations on January 8 and 9, we did not quite know if people would defy the violence, but they did. On the evening of January 8, millions of people across the country took to the streets. What they shouted about was not any small changes in economic policy or reforms, but they want to overthrow the Islamist regime. It is about the regime that poses a threat to the Iranian people, to the people of Ukraine, and to Sweden's security. The Iranian people conquered their fear.

What did the regime do? It shut down the internet. Now the internet has been shut down for 350 hours. The regime uses machine guns against peaceful demonstrators. First, reports came in of 2,000 or 3,000 dead. Then reports came in of 12,000 dead. Some could not grasp that a regime can actually kill 12,000 people in 48 hours. Yesterday, the UN's Iran rapporteur said that over 20,000 people may have been murdered in 48 hours. It is actually a record even for this brutal regime, and it is one of the largest massacres in the world since World War II in such a short time as 48 hours.

What can we do? I have great respect for our honorable Minister for Foreign Affairs and know that the Minister for Foreign Affairs has followed the issue closely. But we must take action. Condemnations are not enough. There will always be diplomatic forces who say that we need to have dialogue and condemn in words. It is not enough! This regime must be overthrown. It is as the German Chancellor and the Australian government said: This regime is on its way out. It lacks legitimacy.

Then we need to intervene and support the Iranian people. We actually have a legal obligation to intervene to defend human rights. When the people rise up, the rest of the world must also rise up.

A very concrete measure is that the EU can blacklist the military organization that mass murders people on the streets in Iran. We in this chamber are completely in agreement on that. But for that to happen, it is required that the Foreign Minister travels around. The four EU member states that are blocking the blacklisting need to be courted. Sweden's Foreign Minister needs to prioritize that work, so that we do what we can to support the Iranian people and so that we do not fail a people who rise up against Islamism. We should be in agreement on that.

(Applause)

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

Jacob Risberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! I would like to take the opportunity to thank both Alexandra Völker and Håkan Svenneling for taking the initiative for this interpellation debate. I would also like to thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who is here to answer.

There are few other issues where there is such a strong consensus in this chamber. It is perhaps when it comes to this conflict and the conflict in Ukraine that we are so united. We all, of course, want to see this regime overthrown. But there is a reason why interpellations exist; we want to bring up the small things where we think more can be done. This is an excellent such occasion.

I would like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has come here to listen to this interpellation debate today. I send an extra thought to all of you who have relatives and friends in Iran whom you may not have contact with now and for whom one does not know how they are doing. The last few weeks have been dark.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs speaks about being in favor of new sanction listings and for listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and that they take the issue very seriously. But just as previous members have said here, it is not enough to only have condemnations and to only push for sanctions, especially not for the type of sanctions that are difficult to get through.

I am sorry, but I do not believe that a terror listing of the revolutionary guard will resolve the conflict. We already have quite sharp sanctions in place against many in the regime. But that does not stop them from acting as they do. Other types of measures are also required.

Secondary sanctions are required, among other things. That is what I would like to see. Then you look at who Iran trades with today. The list is long: China, Turkey, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, India and Pakistan. We do not want to have much to do with some of these states. But there are certain states, including United Arab Emirates, which came up in the interpellation just before and which the EU is currently negotiating a trade agreement with. United Arab Emirates is one of Iran's largest trading partners.

We are happy to talk about secondary sanctions when it comes to Ukraine. But what happens with Iran? We must start talking about that too. It is about putting economic pressure on this regime as well to get something to change.

What I miss a bit is initiative. We run with the balls that are already in motion, but I would like to see Sweden also take more initiative on other types of issues in the EU, for example secondary sanctions.

The question of the embassies also arises, both the Iranian embassy here and the Swedish embassy in Iran. I know that many want to close the embassies, but I do not believe that is a viable path either. It will always be required to have opportunities to have at least an exchange of information.

We can, however, look at how Sweden acted in South Africa during the 70s and 80s. One did not have an embassy but a legation without an ambassador. One wanted to be able to have the contacts, but one did not want to recognize the then-current regime. The same thing happened in Chile during the 70s. When the then-current ambassador was expelled, Sweden chose not to send a new ambassador until there was a peaceful development in Chile. One could downgrade the embassy, in order to show that we take this seriously.

One could also introduce different types of asylum concessions for those who nevertheless try to flee from hell in Iran. There are many things that I want to see initiatives taken on, so that we do not just run with the balls that are already in motion.

With that said, I understand that a strong job is being done. We are actually united on this issue, and I hope that we can continue to be united. But I also see that we could together achieve a great deal more in terms of trying to put a stop to the regime.

(Applause)

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

Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Madam Speaker! It is unknown how many have been murdered in the protests in Iran. But according to the figures that have emerged, it concerns tens of thousands of people. It is simply a massacre.

It is in this situation that it is important to have a constructive discussion. Many people are already upset, and it would be wrong to propose things that cannot be implemented. When Social Democrat Alexandra Völker asks whether the Foreign Minister has taken any initiatives to actualize the issue of listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard on the terror list, she knows very well that Sweden has pursued that line within the EU and continues to pursue it. The Swedish government has on several occasions urged the EU to officially designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization.

What prevents the terror labeling is that there is a lack of consensus among the EU countries on this position. It is not the Swedish government that is preventing the EU from designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. I think it is the wrong time, even for the Social Democrats, to spread incorrect information.

What the Swedish government can do, however, is to distance itself from the mullahs' regime in every possible way and move closer to the democratic opposition. To distance itself from the mullahs' regime also means acknowledging that regime change is the way forward. At some point, one must realize that there is a contradiction between the mullahs' regime and the Iranian people.

The Swedish government must make a choice. Where does one stand? Does one stand on the side of the people, who are crying out for human rights and democracy? Or does one stand on the side of the muck? There is no middle ground.

The notorious images of the Social Democrats Ardalan Shekarabi, Stefan Löfven and Ann Linde together with the regime's representatives show that there is no middle ground. If one negotiates with the mullahs, one abandons certain values. It is obvious to everyone. The images of Stefan Löfven laughing with the regime's representatives still provoke anger in many people.

It is not possible to say that one stands for human rights and democracy and then sit down and have a dialogue with the thugs. It is about a regime that is prepared to kill as many people as it wants to retain power.

The alternative is to stand behind the Iranian people, either by initiating a dialogue with the person whom the Iranian people are now calling for, Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, or by giving the Iranian people moral support by restricting or preferably closing Iran's embassy in Sweden. Such actions are significant for people who are currently being mowed down by armed soldiers.

The government must at least acknowledge that the mullahs' regime can no longer claim to represent the Iranian people. They cannot do so while they are murdering tens of thousands of innocent Iranians.

Choosing a democratic opposition over a villainous regime is not anything unusual. The Minister for Foreign Affairs has on several occasions met Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who is the leader of the Belarusian opposition. In those instances, dialogue with the dictatorship in Belarus has been ruled out.

Why not do the same when it comes to Iran? The dictatorship in Iran cannot in any way be better than the dictatorship in Belarus. Sweden's government can opt out of the mullahs' regime if the will exists.

(Applause)

In this speech, Markus Wiechel (SD) agreed.

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

Alireza Akhondi (C)

Madam Speaker and Maria Malmer Stenergard! I have also, like my colleagues, written a lot of fine words. But what does it help when 20,000 people are massacred in the open street? What is the answer to those people when the Foreign Minister and the government she represents, three days after the European Parliament election, chose to extradite Hamid Noury to the Islamic Republic of Iran?

Yes, one can stand here and say many fine words, but what history will judge are actions.

I have a question for the Minister for Foreign Affairs. That this assembly, the Riksdag, in unanimous agreement, made a decision to urge the government to work towards a terror listing of the Revolutionary Guard can hardly have escaped anyone's notice. One must have been almost deaf or blind to have missed it. But the question is what the Minister for Foreign Affairs has done. Has she met the foreign ministers of all EU countries? Has she met the EU ambassadors from each respective country? I have met them – has the Minister for Foreign Affairs done so? I would very much like to get an answer to that.

I can recount a conversation I had with Spain's EU ambassador in Brussels. She scolded me for about an hour after notes and accused me of engaging in division when I asked how it is that Spain blocks a recognition of the IRGC as a terrorist entity. It did not make the matter any better when I told her that Santa Maria's saffron, a market that is 90 percent controlled by the IRGC, may be a driving force behind Spain's choice not to act.

I can recount similar conversations with Italy, France, Cyprus, Malta and Hungary. But we are all here to hear what the Foreign Minister has done to make the voices of innocent people heard.

I believe there is a broad consensus in this chamber about what needs to be done. What we lack are concrete actions. Given how interesting this debate seems to be – I have rarely seen so many members in the chamber at the same time – I feel that the Foreign Minister owes us all an answer.

(Applause)

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

Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! The situation of the Iranian people is not an accident in history and not a temporary political failure. It is the result of a system that is built for oppression. It is a system that uses fear, prisons, torture and executions to maintain power.

In Iran, women, students, journalists and dissidents are being beaten down because the regime wants to show that it has not lost control. That is how the Iranian regime functions.

Still, we see courage. We see women who refuse to submit, students who continue to protest despite the risk of never coming home again, and parents who mourn their children but still say that the struggle for freedom must not die with them. It is these people who deserve our clear support.

Madam Speaker! This is not just an Iranian issue. The Iranian regime is today one of the most destabilizing elements in and outside the region. It carries out oppression at home but simultaneously exports violence, terror, and instability. It persecutes oppositionists in exile, even in Europe. It deprives foreign citizens of their liberty as political bargaining chips. It supports armed conflicts and extremist groups.

Let us be clear: Iranian military technology is used daily in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. There is hardly any city or larger settlement in Ukraine that has not been attacked with Iranian Shahed drones. The Iranian regime is therefore a direct co-actor in this threat to Europe's security.

Against this background, Europe's and the EU's response is often all too cautious. In some countries, people speak of balance, dialogue, and quiet diplomacy. But one cannot balance with executioners. One cannot compromise with torture. And one cannot negotiate away women's fundamental right to free lives.

That is why a clearer European action is necessary. It is about strict and consistent sanctions against those who order and carry out the abuses. It is about economic and political isolation of the Revolutionary Guard and its networks. In this situation, the EU must truly blacklist the entire IRGC. It is also about support for legal proceedings, so that perpetrators know that impunity is not an option.

Equally important, however, is the support for the people of Iran – for the democratic forces who want to see a free and peaceful Iran, for the women who refuse to let the state control their bodies, for young people who demand hope for the future, and for those who, despite enormous risks, stand up for freedom.

Madam Speaker! In the end, it is about what kind of world we want to live in. Is it a world where violence pays off or a world where oppression is met with resistance? Is it a world where women are silenced or a world where their voices are part of shaping the future?

Sweden's and the EU's position must be clear. Half-measures are not enough, silence is not neutrality, and caution must never become a betrayal of those who risk their freedom.

Madam Speaker! I would like to conclude by stating that Elin Nilsson from Liberalerna intended to participate in this debate, but due to her presence in the EU Committee, she cannot be here.

(Applause)

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

Daniel Riazat (-)

Madam Speaker, members, observers and everyone listening from home! I had also intended to write a speech, and I began one such. But like many others, I feel it is very difficult to just read from a piece of paper. Because this is about more than just a few letters on a paper. The death tolls are more than just a few numbers.

Millions of people – over 90 million – have had difficulty sleeping at night during the past few weeks. Millions of people have, over a period of 47 years, been oppressed by a dictatorship which, we must remember, came to power not because the people wanted them, but because some others decided who should be their leaders.

I wanted to write a speech, but I couldn't. Every time I tried to get it down on paper, I thought of the death tolls and of the people who are murdered every day. I thought of all the people who are in prison. We do not know if they will come out of there alive.

I could not write because Jina, Nika and many others have met their deaths due to the world's passivity. Instead of truly sanctioning the regime, putting it on the terror list and closing the embassies, one continues to talk.

They say: We stand behind the Iranian people. But it took 10,000 dead before the Swedish government said that the deportations to Iran should be stopped. Why did it take 10,000 dead before they said it? Why did it take three years before the Swedish right agreed that we should push the issue of putting the IRGC on the EU terror list? Why is it only 230 people who are on the sanctions list right now?

I am not one of those who say that the Western world should carry out the revolution for the people. We have seen what happens when the Western world carries out revolutions for the peoples. It becomes the ISIS regime in Syria and other brutal regimes. I am not looking to replace one dictatorship with another.

But the Western democracies, as they call themselves, have the duty to help the people. They are obligated to ensure that people get internet, to ensure that sanctions hit the right people, and to ensure that the children of regime representatives, other relatives, and companies cannot go free everywhere in the whole world.

I no longer understand how these sanctions work. It is enough to go to Canada, England, or Switzerland to see how regime representatives can openly take millions in money out of the country while people in Iran can hardly afford to feed their children anymore.

Something needs to be done here and now. Words are not enough. We do not want you to take over the people's revolution, but we demand that you support the people's revolution. We demand that you do it with determination and for real, and not just in words. Therefore, I continue to say jin, jiyan, azadi – it means woman, life, freedom. That is what people are fighting for.

I hope that one day it will be possible to have a debate in the parliament in Iran. I hope that people will then stand free, regardless of political opinion, and that they can have the type of debate that we have here today. But it should then be about how to develop the country after the regime's fall, which I hope will be brutal.

(Applause)

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

Markus Wiechel (SD)

Madam Speaker! The Khamenei regime, this illegitimate and theocratic clan of mass murderers, has just now carried out a bloodbath that is among the worst against its people. In fact, what we are seeing right now is unparalleled.

Tens of thousands of unarmed Iranians are being shot down like animals in the streets – children, students, mothers, fathers. It is sniper fire from the rooftops and machine guns against crowds. Hospitals are stormed to kidnap and murder the wounded. They have shut down the entire internet to hide their war crimes. It is a digital blackout. This is worse than anything we have seen in modern times.

This is not a worrying development. It is a state-organized massacre. Khamenei himself has admitted that there are thousands dead. When he does that, we know that it is much worse than that. He and his IRGC executioners have turned streets into slaughterhouses while hiding behind their turbans. It is not a government. It is a criminal organization that is currently occupying Iran and murdering its people. It is being done so that the anti-Iranian regime can remain in power.

Madam Speaker! I truly appreciate unity and when there is a consensus across party lines in the Swedish Riksdag, especially in important issues such as this. I also know that we all in here share the disgust for what we see in Iran. But where is the credibility when the Social Democrats stand here and speak about a tough Iran policy? I have some opinions on the government's Iran policy. I think it should be somewhat tougher – significantly tougher. But the Social Democrats really have nothing to say about this given the clumsy Iran policy that prevailed when the Social Democrats ruled this country.

You invited and coddled Foreign Minister Zarif. You went to Iran to conduct trade and at the same time took the opportunity to legitimize the gender apartheid that exists there. Your Foreign Minister even celebrated the Islamists' national day with cake at the embassy in Lidingö. Shame on you!

I have a question for the Social Democrats participating in the debate here today: Do you distance yourselves from the Iran policy that you pursued when you held power in Sweden? Do you distance yourselves from the celebration of the Islamists' national day? If you do not, you completely lack credibility.

Madam Speaker! The villainous regime is crushing its citizens today. We must therefore strike hard from Sweden's side and from the EU's side. The Iranian embassy in Stockholm must be closed. Expelling diplomats is a matter of course. They do not represent the Iranian people. They represent the murderers in Tehran. To have them here is to spit on all Iranians who are currently sacrificing their lives and everything they have.

Of course, the IRGC as an organization must also be classified as a terrorist organization. That is something I know the government is pushing for. The sanctions must be expanded against Khamenei, everyone in his circle, and everyone who can be linked to this terror regime. Their assets must be frozen. Luxury villas in Europe – everything – must be gone.

We must support the Iranian people in all conceivable ways in their cry for freedom. We must definitely do what we can to assist them, so that they can get their stories out.

Madam Speaker! History will judge us mercilessly if we do not act and if we back down. The Iranian people are fighting for their lives against a ruthless dictatorship. We shall be unwavering in our support for the Iranian people – no compromises with murderers.

(Applause)

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

Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Madam Speaker! Double thanks for the opportunity to participate in this debate, which is so important!

The courage of the Iranian people is shown time and again. It is visible now on the streets across all of Iran. We saw the same thing happen after the murder of Mahsa Amini in the autumn of 2022.

Everyone should feel our moral and united support from this chamber. People dream of freedom. They hope that it will be possible to achieve freedom during their lifetime and for their children. They think about the children's future. They are prepared to do this with their lives at stake. They defend their freedom, just as we see how Ukrainians daily defend their freedom against Russian abuses in Ukraine. In Iran, they defend their freedom against the regime's abuses. They have been terrorized year after year – for an incredibly long time.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard is the regime's weapon in its work to terrorize the population. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard could have been classified as a terrorist organization by the EU. Unfortunately, it has not happened. Despite a shut down internet, as recently as last night I could see pictures of how body bags were stacked on the streets and hear people talking about how they shoot wildly with machine guns to kill people because they have demanded freedom.

When freedom has been conquered – it will be conquered – by the Iranian people, we will become aware of the reality. It will not be beautiful. Here, crimes against humanity are undoubtedly taking place. The Mollas and IRGC must not go free. They must be held accountable for their crimes against their population.

I agree with what has been said earlier by many debaters: There are no simple answers, even if President Trump possibly believes there are. The oppressive regime has permeated the country for so long, and the IRGC is shown time and again to have an enormous grip on the population with its repressive power.

Now we must terror-classify them. It could have happened in May 2023, but, Madam Speaker, when we have had these discussions, it has always been stopped by the EU's legal framework, a framework that is from 2001 with "nine eleven" and what happened then.

It does not work for this type of regimes or terrorist organizations, and we have discussed it over and over again. The EU must change its legal framework. The minister should demand it.

(Applause)

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

Jytte Guteland (S)

Madam Speaker! A massacre is occurring in Iran, where the regime is bloodily suppressing the popular protests where people refuse to be subdued. With their lives at stake, thousands of demonstrators in Iran have demanded their lives and their freedom back – strong, brave young people.

We who stand here in the Swedish Riksdag feel reverence for your struggle. We have stood by your side many times before and seen how brave demonstrators demand open, free elections, normal lives, and to be spared the regime's torture.

You who belong to the regime in Iran should know that the protests will never fall silent. This time, the people in Iran have united. The protests will continue until freedom is achieved. You may hate, imprison and execute, but the people will never cease to demand their rights.

You, the regime in Iran: How many more will you kill? What is your point? The protests will not be silenced. How can people be silent when women are discriminated against and imprisoned for absurdities? Why should men be allowed to show their hair but not women? Why should women not be given the same opportunities in life for development and to use their education? Why should women be held back? Are you living in the Middle Ages?

Women in all countries are united. Our strength is enormous! Do not forget that! We women across national borders demand freedom for all women in all the world's countries. End patriarchy! End subordination! End morality police!

We demand power, and we take support from the women of Iran. We feel our ancestors' struggle. We stand united. We know that freedom must be conquered. Tyrants must go. They do not give in unless they understand that they are defeated.

We demand an immediate stop to all the abuses that are occurring against brave young people right now. Stop the executions! Stop the executions in hospitals! How vile are you not! Many thousands – it is so incomprehensible – have been killed by the security police.

We must never stop talking about this. At the forefront are many times young men and young women who are struggling. But with you, you have the world's support. Never forget that!

We in the Swedish Riksdag also stand united and demand a stop. We want to classify the morality police as a terrorist organization and stand united in that it is the people in Iran whom we stand behind, not the regime.

(Applause)

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

Elin Nilsson (L)

Madam Speaker! I want to start by saying that I am very glad that I made it here at the last second after being stuck in the EU Committee, where this issue was also raised. It is important that we show unity and that we stand united behind the freedom struggle that is ongoing.

The Iranian Islamist dictatorship has oppressed the Iranian people for nearly five decades. The people and the regime are not just different things; their interests also stand in direct opposition to one another.

The popular protests now are about a resistance against Islamist rules for how people, not least women, shall be allowed to live their lives. It is about the regime's murdering, torturing, and oppression of the people and that this must cease. It is about that their financing and support to terrorists in the region and in the whole world must cease. The suffering and the oppression must be brought to an end.

Here in Sweden and throughout the world, the Iranian regime also conducts espionage, witch hunts, and mapping of the Iranian diaspora. They also spread their oppression here. They finance terrorism, cooperate with criminal gangs, and support extremism.

Society must be a common voice at all levels. It concerns everything from how municipalities must stop support for Islamists and supporters of the Iranian regime to how the police, Säpo, and prosecutors must smoke out and hunt every single Iranian agent out of Sweden. It is about the government having to push for a terror listing of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Iran is also part of the authoritarian and anti-democratic bloc together with many other countries, such as Russia, China and North Korea. Iran's support for Russia has made the war in Ukraine possible. China's diplomatic and political support for Iran has made the regime's continued oppression of the people possible. They do not share an ideology, but they share the goal of overthrowing the liberal world order.

The people of Iran's cause is therefore Sweden's cause, not only because it is morally right. The people of Iran's cause is also Sweden's cause because if they succeed, the whole world, including Sweden, becomes safer.

Right now, it is my and the Liberals' view that the democratic world has not done enough for the Iranian people. They demand freedom and democracy, and we must not fail them. More remains to be done. More must be done. We must seize the hope and the power that exists in the resistance we now see in Iran.

(Applause)

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! I think it is incredibly fine to see the enormous commitment that exists here in the Riksdag and which is also expressed here in the gallery. It is a great strength that we are so united here in Sweden and in Sweden's Riksdag. It is something that I wish I had seen to a greater extent in other countries. It is something that we really shall take advantage of, because then Sweden's voice also becomes much stronger.

Much of what is happening in the world now leads one to conclude that the EU must become even stronger and act even more united, and that also applies to this issue. Sweden is really pushing for the EU to have a powerful and coordinated Iran policy, and I truly agree that condemnations alone are not enough.

That is exactly why Sweden, together with a few other countries, is a co-proposer of a new sanctions package targeting additional individuals and entities linked to the regime's brutal repression of the demonstrations. We naturally want the EU to decide on this quickly. It is also why we are driving within the EU for the IRGC to be blacklisted. That, Azadeh Rojhan, is what it means to be driving in the EU.

The question of listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard under the EU's terrorism sanctions regime is something that Sweden has pushed for a long time in EU circles, and as said, it is an enormous strength that there is a consensus here in the Riksdag. We have raised it time and again at the expert level, at foreign ministers' meetings, and at the highest level in the European Council.

As is known, listing requires unanimity among the member states. Sweden advocates for a dialogue with other countries so that we can reach exactly that. We believe and hope that recent events will lead more countries to support our position. We will continue this work until we succeed.

I also want to emphasize that the EU has previously taken sharp measures against Iran. Over 230 individuals and 40 entities are already on the sanctions list for gross violations of human rights, including several with links to the IRGC. The IRGC is also subject to sanctions under the regime for the country's nuclear and missile programs.

Alireza Akhondi asked if I have met my ministerial colleagues in the EU. The answer is: Yes, I have. Of course, I continue to push this issue. Sweden will continue to be a driving force for a clear and consistent line, as I began by saying. We do not accept that Iran destabilizes the region, oppresses its population and supports terrorism. The EU's response must be united, sharp and uncompromising.

Nima Gholam Ali Pour asked where the government stands. The answer to that question is crystal clear: We stand behind all the brave men and women in Iran who are fighting for their freedom.

(Applause)

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

Alexandra Völker (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for a substantive answer!

When I wrote this interpellation before Christmas, I directed two questions to the Minister. The first was whether the Minister intends to take any initiatives to actualize the issue of listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard on the terror list and, if so, which initiatives. The second question was whether the Minister intends to take any initiatives to increase the pressure on the Iranian regime and which, if so. I find it difficult to understand how one can be critical of the questions that have been raised here earlier in the debate.

Foreign policy is owned by the government, not by the Riksdag. Despite that, we from the Riksdag have done what we can to push forward and to show our support for the Iranian people and our opposition to the regime. But it is the government and the Foreign Minister who have both the responsibility and the opportunity to act.

I have actively avoided making accusations today. This debate is not for competing over who is best or worst. This debate is for raising the voice against the regime and for the people's pursuit of freedom in Iran, because now enough is enough. We have always been clear: all people's freedom – the whole world's peace.

As mentioned earlier in the debate, we had a consultation in the EU Committee this morning ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting in the Foreign Affairs Council next week. We discussed everything from the terror designation to pressures against the regime and access to the internet and telephony. The latter question is incredibly central for the world's oversight. In addition to condemning the regime's actions and demanding that the internet be turned back on, we also discussed whether there are any possibilities to actually take action. I hope that the foreign ministers really look at all possibilities and think creatively, because that is what the people on the ground in Iran need. I also hope that the EU clearly marks its position against the regime. I hope that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard is eventually put on the terror list.

We need to turn over every stone and consider every way we can act now to show our support for the people in Iran and show the regime that enough is enough. Sweden and the EU must show courage and decisiveness.

(Applause)

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

Håkan Svenneling (V)

Madam Speaker! We have stood here before. When the murder of Jina Mahsa Amini occurred in the autumn of 2022, we gathered for the then Foreign Minister Billström's first interpellation debate as Foreign Minister. The gallery in here was full then as well.

Now we have a Foreign Minister who speaks about unity, but back then Sweden's Iran policy was unclear and divided among the political parties. Since then, the activists have pressured us politicians, and together we have succeeded in creating unity in Sweden's Riksdag to announce that we will designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard IRGC as a terrorist organization. But such things are decided in the EU, and the EU Commission has been an unparalleled brake.

When the entire Foreign Affairs Committee visited the commission in the autumn of 2023 and raised the issue directly with them, it was brushed aside. Instead of moving forward with a concrete proposal, it has been buried in investigations and inquiries in search of the so-called legal basis. The legal basis is there; the Iranian regime, with the IRGC at its head, terrorizes its own people. Actually, we should brand the entire Iranian regime as a terrorist regime.

In her response, the Minister for Foreign Affairs emphasized that she intends to raise the issue at Monday's meeting. I wonder if the Minister for Foreign Affairs can promise that there will be a new sanctions package on Monday and if you have sent the signal to the embassies in all European capitals where Sweden has such that they should raise the issue regarding Iran with the respective country and press for them to support sanctions and for them to support the terror designation of the IRGC. I also wonder if we Swedish Members of Parliament can do anything to support you when it comes to further increasing the pressure on the issue at the European level.

It is good that the Foreign Minister has called the Iranian ambassador, because the last time protests broke out it took months before the then Moderate Foreign Minister called the ambassador. I managed to submit the interpellation, but you were still fast!

I know that many who are listening to the debate want to close the Iranian embassy, as it is full of spies and corrupt representatives. But at the same time, it would likely mean that we would be forced to close the Swedish embassy in Tehran, and it would be bad when so little information comes out of Iran. That people are persecuted and threatened in Sweden must be taken seriously, and it is important that our authorities act forcefully against these spies.

An important announcement from the Minister for Foreign Affairs today was that the government has no plans to resume or promote economic relations that could benefit the Iranian regime. This must be Sweden's policy until the day the regime falls.

It was also stated in today's interpellation debate that the previous agreements are not to be terminated. One of the agreements signed in 2017 by the Swedish Ministry of Enterprise concerns Pardis Technology Park, an organization governed by the revolutionary guard and which is part of the militia responsible for the violence, terror, and ongoing killing. It is also subject to sanctions from the EU.

It is just a matter of terminating these agreements. It may not have such great practical significance, but it is still important. Terminate the agreements now!

Now the regime seems to be trying to regulate internet access and increase its surveillance and control. The rest of the world must do everything to actively support and facilitate connectivity so that the truth can come out.

In the situation we find ourselves in, we cannot get stuck in what the EU does. Sweden must also, together with other countries, shape an Iran policy with its own agendas and strategies to stop the regime's terror.

We must also stop deporting people to Iran. A few weeks ago, we finally received the news that healthcare staff at SÖS were allowed to stay, after extensive protests from their colleagues. Now, there is a threat hanging over an 18-year-old girl who risks being deported to Iran. So, we cannot have that.

(Applause)

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

ANDRE VICE TALMANNEN

I want to remind that we do not address the Minister for Foreign Affairs with "du".

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

Azadeh Rojhan (S)

Madam Speaker! Thank you, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the substantive and clear answer!

All people's freedom – the whole world's peace. There is a counterpart to that in Persian, and I know that I am now breaking the rules, but I say it anyway: Bani adam azaye yekdigarand ke dar afarinesh ze yek goharand. These are the guiding words that have governed my entire political engagement.

I happen to be born in Iran but grew up here in Sweden. I see it as my responsibility to at least be a voice for the Iranian people, who show a courage that is unparalleled. I want to carry their voice to the rest of the world but also use the opportunity I have as a parliamentarian and a free human being in Sweden to press and fight to ensure that the Islamic regime is held accountable and overthrown.

I am incredibly grateful that there is a consensus in the Swedish Riksdag on this and that we together want to ensure that we give the Iranian people the freedom and democracy that they deserve and that they have fought for. We must now comply with this. Therefore, it is incredibly important that the Foreign Minister now demonstrates clear actions and stands up for the actions that have been presented here today. She must show in action that we together want to get rid of a regime that is a threat not only to its own people but also to the rest of the world and to us here in Sweden. It is time to get rid of the Iranian regime.

(Applause)

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

Ardalan Shekarabi (S)

Madam Speaker! I continue where the previous speaker left off. This regime is a threat not only to the Iranian people, as we have now heard from everyone who has spoken in this debate. The regime is also a threat to the rest of the world and to Sweden's security, independence, and democracy.

Madam Speaker! We know that those who fight in the war in Ukraine also fight for our democracy, our freedom, and our independence. We know that the Iranian regime is one of Putin's most important allies in the warfare against the people of Ukraine. The Iranian regime supplies Putin with the drones that kill Ukrainians. The Iranian regime provides political, economic, and military support to Putin's warfare. If Putin wins in Ukraine, he will not stop there, but he will continue to pose a threat, ultimately even against Sweden.

Now the people of Iran have risen. They want to overthrow the regime and show a courage that, if they succeed, will ultimately protect us. They show a courage that makes the world better and Sweden safer. Then Sweden's government must ask itself: Is Sweden ready to change its Iran policy? I am not talking about any positioning and attacks on parties but collectively: Are we prepared to leave the dialogue with the Islamist regime?

Is the Foreign Minister prepared to shift the Ministry for Foreign Affairs' position and do what is required? Is she prepared to see the regime as a threat, to see the Iranian people as our friends who are fighting for our security, and to shift the department's view on Iran and the Iran issue? Then the minister would not only be doing the Iranian people a service, but the minister and the government would also be doing Sweden a service and making Sweden safer. It is obvious that the Iranian regime will fall if the rest of the world gives its support to the Iranian people.

(Applause)

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

Jacob Risberg (MP)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the answer.

In my previous speech, I said that it is fun and good to see that there is a cross-party consensus in the chamber on this issue. But some party representatives still cannot manage anything other than to bring up certain historical events and turn this into party politics. I think it is tragic, especially when it comes from a party that I assume does not want us to bring up their historical actions in the speaker's chair.

First and foremost, I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the Foreign Minister for that Sweden supported an initiative to convene the UN Security Council for an extra session on the situation in Iran. The meeting in the UN Security Council will take place in a couple of hours and can be followed on the web from 14:00. That is a tip for everyone following this debate who wants to hear what is said in the UN Security Council.

In connection with that, I would like to take the opportunity to ask a question to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. There is also an initiative to try to persuade the UN Security Council to refer this matter to the International Criminal Court. Can the Minister for Foreign Affairs comment on that today? Will Sweden stand behind the initiative and the appeal to the Security Council to do this? I think that would be good.

In my previous speech, I raised a number of other things that we could do regarding, above all, secondary sanctions and I will not repeat those now.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the interpellator, all fellow debaters, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs for a very important interpellation debate. I hope that we will soon see the regime in Iran overthrown and that the people there become free.

(Applause)

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

Nima Gholam Ali Pour (SD)

Madam Speaker! The regime in Iran has in recent years become more aggressive regarding intelligence and terrorist activities in Sweden. Less than two years ago, the Swedish Security Service announced that the mullahs' regime uses criminal networks in Sweden to carry out acts of violence. Several Swedish citizens have been taken hostage by the regime to force Sweden into various concessions. This is not a regime that is a friend to Sweden. Therefore, Sweden should not either be a friend to this regime.

Now there is an opportunity for Sweden to act together with the international community to once and for all get rid of this regime, which spreads violence not only in Iran but also here in Sweden.

The Foreign Minister may wonder what Sweden can do. One can start by terminating the collaborations that exist between Swedish and Iranian educational institutions. Iranian universities are not independent. Those who participate in such collaborations from the Iranian side have been approved by the regime. Sweden could also work within the EU to direct sanctions against all regime representatives and their families. These murderers should not be able to live a comfortable life while they commit their crimes.

Sweden has historically shown that one can stand up against oppressive regimes, even when it comes at a cost. Now, the same determination is required again. Everything that has a connection to the mullahs' regime must be treated as a threat to Sweden and the Iranian people. The question is not whether Sweden can act, but whether the government is prepared to once and for all close the door on the mullahs' regime.

In this speech, Markus Wiechel (SD) concurred.

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

Alireza Akhondi (C)

Madam Speaker! Ali Khamenei's brutal regime will fall. Masoud Pezeshkian's government will fall. Ali Larijani's reign of terror will fall.

Friends! We have come a long way. Think, three years ago, member after member stood up and said that the Islamic Republic shall be overthrown. In political and diplomatic contexts, these words have an extreme significance. Thanks to you up there in the gallery and thanks to everyone who has become involved, we see this development. Your commitment matters. I am convinced that freedom is near.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs! We know that the Islamist regime is preparing an intranet in a real attempt to disconnect Iranians' ability to access free communication. In Sweden, we have technology that can bypass it.

Is the Foreign Minister and the government prepared to truly invest in projects and measures that are taken here and now to secure people's access to free internet?

(Applause)

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

Magnus Berntsson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the interpellants, the co-debaters, and everyone in the chamber listening!

I appreciate the consensus in the room. The first time I stood in the Riksdag's speaker's chair, I raised the issue of the terror listing of IRGC, and I am pleased that we have a common view in the Swedish Riksdag.

Almost all of us participating in today's debate have party friends in parties that are part of the governments that are blocking the terror listing, and I believe we need to talk to our colleagues in the countries that do not see the necessity of a terror listing – how they now cannot do it. Here, we therefore have a common task, and I expect that we will accomplish it.

The Iranian regime's actions do not stop at its own borders. It persecutes oppositionists in Europe, imprisons foreign citizens, and actively contributes to war and instability. In almost every major conflict, the Iranian regime is involved, not least in Ukraine, which is Sweden's highest priority.

As we have said, we need to do what we can to persuade our European friends to understand the seriousness and understand the significance of a terror listing.

We must also show political and moral support to the Iranian people and to all who want to see a free, democratic, and peaceful Iran. Silence and half-measures would be a betrayal; Sweden and the EU must stand firm in their support. The Iranian people must know that they do not stand alone.

(Applause)

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

Daniel Riazat (-)

Madam Speaker! I also think it is fantastic that there have been changes of position. However, I think it is regrettable that some party representatives seem to have been tasked to come here today and say that this is someone else's fault, not the government's. It is disrespectful to the issue, the people, and today's debate.

Let me return to what the Swedish government can do. I think it is very strange that the EU until 2008 or 2009 could label Nelson Mandela and his freedom movement as terrorists, but that one cannot label the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which mass-murders people in the streets, as terrorists. One could label the only group that stood up against Isis in Syria a few years ago as terrorists, but one cannot label the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which mass-imprisons and mass-murders civilians, as terrorists.

I mean that it is possible. But then all the cards must be on the table. A few years ago, the Iranian state power was even rewarded in the UN by being given presiding positions in various UN bodies. At that time, the Swedish Foreign Minister had a secret meeting with the Iranian Foreign Minister. We want to know what is said at these meetings. What is presented to the Swedish government? What demands are placed on Iran? And what is said at the meetings with the Iranian ambassadors? Unfortunately, it takes far too long before you have these meetings, but what do you say when you finally have them?

Finally: How do we make the internet accessible for people in Iran so that they can reach out with news and avoid being isolated from the entire rest of the world? Sweden's government and other European governments can achieve this. Let me remind you that Swedish companies have ensured that the Iranian state authorities can eavesdrop on people. Why then can Swedish companies not ensure that we can help people reach out to the rest of the world? We can do it, and we will do it.

Zan, zendegi, azadi! Jin, jiyan, azadi!

(Applause)

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

Markus Wiechel (SD)

Madam Speaker! Just before the debate, I spoke on the phone with a friend who had heard testimony from Iran. He himself has lost four friends in this revolution. This testimony, which I had initially intended to read out, depicts the indescribable horror that Iranians are now experiencing on their streets. Among other things, girls and women who have been ruthlessly murdered by the regime have their earrings torn off just so the regime can seize everything of value they can. The entire story is horrific, but I intend to share it in another way.

This, however, raises the question of what we as legislators can do, and I welcome the consensus here in the Swedish Riksdag and that we stand together against the villainous regime. We must continue this in every conceivable way – here in the Riksdag, on the international arenas where we are active, and in other ways. It is incredibly important that we constantly push forward on this issue and that we are the voice the people in Iran need.

Madam Speaker! I also intended to break the rules about only speaking Swedish in the chamber: Madome Iran, ma ba shoma hastim! Azadi baraye Iran, zendeh bad Iran! The people of Iran, we are with you! Freedom for Iran, long live Iran!

(Applause)

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

Kerstin Lundgren (C)

Madam Speaker! Thank you to the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the debate, and thank you to the interpellators who made it possible!

The Iranian regime is severely weakened, and that is undoubtedly important. Let us hope, just as the Iranian people do, that what we are seeing now are the regime's final days.

Zelenskyy spoke in Davos yesterday, and he was quite demanding towards us in the EU: You must act, not just talk.

I believe that the Foreign Minister should take with him the Riksdag's unanimous wish that the EU should act when the foreign ministers meet at the Foreign Affairs Council next week. IRGC has long been on the agenda, but when it takes four years to sort out the legal framework in order to be able to make a decision to designate IRGC as a terrorist organization, that is not acting quickly. If the EU is to be credible, a better toolbox is required than the sanctions and sanction packages we have the possibility to use today.

Crimes against humanity have undoubtedly been committed, even if that too is to be tried in court. The ICC is an option, but personally I hope that the Iranian people will be granted freedom and that a free judiciary in Iran will be able to judge those who bear responsibility for the oppression, the killing, and the terror that the people have been subjected to for so long.

(Applause)

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

Jytte Guteland (S)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for Foreign Affairs for the debate, but above all, I thank the interpellants for making possible a debate that demonstrates the unity that exists.

It is important to send this message to all the brave protesters and all others in Iran who are fighting against a regime that oppresses freedom and rights.

We feel reverence for your struggle. We see the abuses and massacres occurring right now, but also the condition that has prevailed since the revolution, the year I myself was born. It is many decades of oppression, and many lives have been restricted. We see it, and we stand by your side. We want this to be clear, and you shall also be able to say it when you put pressure on the regime.

It is not possible to subdue people forever, and those responsible must be held accountable. I think it is important to remind free democratic countries in the West that there are people who are fighting for democracy with their lives at stake. Young people in Iran show that they want to see what we have taken for granted many times over decades. It is time that we also show courage and stand up for the principles of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

We have had a terrible week behind us where we have seen authoritarian leaders challenge our democracies. We must not close our eyes and believe that democracy is forever secured; instead, it is about fighting every day for the rights of minorities, for the equal value of all people, and for the principles of the rule of law. It is a message that young people in Iran are sending us today, and it is one we must take to heart.

I also want to give a message to the regime in Iran: You are living on borrowed time. You must know that the protests will never fall silent. This time, the people in Iran have united. They are strong. We are also strong all around the world. There is an end for your regime, and you must know that now.

(Applause)

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Elin Nilsson (L)

Madam Speaker! It is our moral duty to hold fast to the position that Sweden must give its wholehearted support to the Iranian people. It is also crucial for Sweden's security and the safety of Swedish Iranians.

One thing we all agree on is that the Iranian people need access to information and means of communication, and in that, we must do what we can to assist. It would be interesting to hear more about how the government is working now and what it will do to increase the flow of information between Iranians in Iran as well as to and from Iran.

We have been able to read in the media about how parts of the left have had difficulty taking the side of the Iranian people. I am therefore very pleased that it is precisely the Left Party that has submitted the interpellation. Thank you for that, Håkan Svenneling! It is necessary that we here in the Swedish Riksdag debate this issue and show the rest of the world that we stand united on the side of the people.

We all know the cry Woman, life, freedom! That is feminism for real. Those who claim to stand up for human rights and who claim to stand on women's side must also stand on the Iranian people's side. The Iranian people demand freedom and democracy. Here we must not fail.

(Applause)

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

Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! As I mentioned earlier, the pressure on the Iranian regime has been high for a long time, but it is quite evident that it must increase further.

The Prime Minister and I myself have been very clear in our comments regarding the regime's actions in connection with the recent demonstrations. When the Ministry for Foreign Affairs called the Iranian ambassador on January 14, the message was clear and distinct: Sweden's government condemns the regime's brutal actions against peaceful demonstrators. We will continue to use all bilateral contacts we have to convey our demand for respect for human rights. We do this also to show that the rest of the world is following the developments closely and that the rest of the world is setting demands. We do not turn away our gaze.

I had no secret meeting in the UN, Daniel Riazat. It was so open that it was even broadcast on Iranian TV, even though they blurred my legs. After the meeting, I was also clear that the meeting had taken place and that I had put forward very clear demands to the Iranian Foreign Minister, not least that Ahmadreza Djalali should be released.

Our work through the EU and the UN and the cooperation with like-minded countries continues. Sweden is pushing to make it impossible for the Iranian regime to ignore the demands for change. We continue, together with like-minded countries, to use all the tools in the toolbox.

I sincerely hope that we will decide on new sanctions next week at the council meeting, which is on Thursday, Håkan Svenneling. It is usually on Mondays. We are now actively working with colleagues to gain traction for the proposals. I am grateful for all the contacts you have in European countries that can help to push forward.

I want to highlight another example where Sweden is proactive. It concerns the downing of flight PS752, which was a terrible tragedy, with 176 dead, of whom 17 were residents of Sweden. The victims' families deserve justice. We demand that Iran takes full responsibility for the downing. Therefore, the government, together with Canada, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom, has initiated two cases against Iran before the International Court of Justice, ICJ. The goal of the proceedings is, of course, for Iran to be held accountable.

Another example is what Jacob Risberg mentioned, that we have requested an extra session in the MR Council. It is another way to highlight the very serious situation in Iran. Regarding Jacob Risberg's question, we are prepared to stand behind all initiatives aimed at holding Iran accountable.

Sweden's diplomatic work is persistent and consistent. We are constantly seeking new ways to put pressure on the Iranian regime. This also applies to access to the internet. The shutdown is extremely serious. It concerns both people's ability to communicate, and our ability to follow what is actually happening on the ground in Iran.

We stand up for human rights and for the Iranian people's rightful demands for freedom and dignity.

(Applause)

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Alexandra Völker (S)

Madam Speaker! The Iranian people are showing immense courage, but the regime responds with unimaginable brutality. Over 20,000 dead in 48 hours – it is almost impossible to take in. The internet and telephony have been shut down. There is no doubt: The world must act. Sweden and the EU must act.

It is not often that we, 13 members from different parties, participate in an interpellation debate here in the chamber, and it happens even more rarely with such unanimity as we see here today. The Minister for Foreign Affairs should truly feel the Riksdag's support but also, quite frankly, our expectation. It is a support and an expectation that extends far beyond the political parties here in the Riksdag. This is shown, not least by the presence in the gallery here today. I met some of the spectators out in the cold as early as when I arrived here at 8 o'clock this morning.

The regime is a threat to the population in Iran, it is a threat to us here in Sweden and it is a threat to our world. The will of the people must be obeyed. We want to see a democratic and free Iran where no one other than the Iranian people decides on their future. Jin, jiyan, azadi!

I really want to thank everyone who has participated in this debate in different ways and shown that we in Sweden stand united behind the people in Iran and that we collectively stand up against Iran's regime – thank you!

(Applause)

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Håkan Svenneling (V)

Madam Speaker! I want to start by thanking everyone who has come here today and who will share this debate on social media. I will reveal that I had the goal that the gallery would be at least half full, but even more came. It is wonderful to see. Thank you for that!

Now we must put maximum pressure on the Iranian regime, because it must fall. But we must also put maximum pressure on the EU to act. For far too long, far too many have believed that dialogue with the regime can make a difference. It has been the prevailing method in international politics. But now it must end. The EU must move from words and statements to action and terrorist-label the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, IRGC.

Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard! I have high expectations of you, and I am far from alone in having them. I believe that everyone listening to this debate has them ahead of the EU meeting that awaits next week. I apologize for saying the wrong date – we have had a bit to do lately, you and I.

We want to see a clear Swedish line, and I believe I hear good grounds for it becoming so, a clear line where Sweden in all its policy is crystal clear against the Iranian regime. I hope that it yields results and clarity, that it leads to action and that it leads to the regime falling.

Thank you very much, everyone, for this debate! Freedom for all the people of Iran!

(Applause)

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Utrikesministern Maria Malmer Stenergard (M)

Madam Speaker! I also want to express my gratitude for the great commitment that exists here in the Riksdag and which we have truly seen today.

As you know, which has been highlighted in the debate and I want to take the opportunity to touch upon briefly, countering the Iranian regime's destabilizing actions in the Middle East and globally is also a direct Swedish and European security interest.

The Government takes the issue of protection for persons in Sweden who risk being subjected to threats, surveillance, or harassment from the Iranian regime very seriously. The Security Service has a clear mandate to counter foreign intelligence activities and to reduce security-threatening activities directed at individuals. The Government is conducting a very intensive dialogue with all agencies that have this protection as a task.

Together with the EU and like-minded countries, we continue to consider all available tools that can be used to exert pressure on the Iranian regime.

I want to conclude by thanking the interpellants and all 13 of the debaters for a very important and good debate on how we can together help and support the brave Iranian people. I also want to thank all of you who have come here today to listen and show your support. I really want to convey that the strong unity that exists here is perhaps our greatest strength if we are to also have an impact internationally.

(Applause)

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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