EU actions & Swedish Parliement debate January 23rd (Wall of text)

Erik Sharifi

18d • General Discussion

Some of my notes that i used in the Open Discussions (contains the saffron quote):

📜Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (Moderaterna):

"Sweden is a driving force in the European Parliment to create new sanctions against regime representatives." They want new sanctions to be decided this Thursday (tomorrow).
On the 10th of May 2023 a joint Swedish parliment decided to address a *proclamition* to the goverment that Sweden should work to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Everyone still stands beside this.
The way that the Swedish terror-law works is that in order for a organization to be classfied as terrorists it must either commit terrorist attacks on swedish territory or, it must be on the UN:s security councils respectivly EUs terror list
The agreements(in practice letter of intents) which was made in 2017 between the Socialdemocrat government and the regime are canceled. From 2017 onwards it has been "limited cooperation"
The IRGC and the regime is under sanctions regarding missile and nuclear technology. (obviously)

### 🏛️ Debates

Skipped the talkingpoints that only were "we give our support" etc.

Nima Gholam Ali Pour (Sverigedemokraterna) is calling for the government to initiate dialogue with Reza Pahlavi and to close the embassy of the regime. He's the only one to mention his name in terms of formal dialogue. He also mentioned is calling to close cooperation with the regimes universities. (Zero reports in media regarding his statements)

Alireza Akhondi (Centerpartiet): Accusations that Spain's opposition to listing the IRGC is driven by economic interests, including alleged IRGC involvement in the saffron trade.

Saffron quote:

"[...]I can recount a conversation I had with Spain’s EU ambassador in Brussels. She berated me for about an hour, accusing me of being divisive, when I asked why Spain was blocking recognition of the IRGC as a terrorist entity. It didn’t help matters when I told her that Santa Maria saffron, a market 90 percent controlled by the IRGC, could be a driving force behind Spain’s decision not to act." - Alireza Akhondi

Daniel Riazat (Unaffiliated, formerly Vänsterpartiet) called for closing the embassy but says that he will keep saying "jin, jiyan, azadi". Closed his second statement with Zan, zendegi, azadi! Jin, jiyan, azadi!

Marcus Wiechel (Sverigedemokraterna) called for the closing of the embassy but directed most of his time to condemn the Socialdemocrats for their cooperation deal with the regime from 2017 and the that representatives from the previous Social-democrat government, celebrated with **cake** the islamic regimes 40 year anniversery in 2019.

Also said that history will condemn us without remorse if we do not act.

Jacob Risberg (Miljöpartiet) does not think that it is feasible to close the embassy, he says that he wants to keep a flow of inromation. Could downgrade the embassy to a delegation.