Iranian-Born Swedish Lawmaker: Supporting Iranian Protesters is Supporting Democracy
Azadeh Rajchian-Gustavsson, an Iranian-born member of Sweden’s parliament, told Deutsche Welle that when democratic principles, human rights, and freedoms are violated in a country, parliaments of other nations should respond accordingly.
A group of Swedish parliament members gathered in front of Sweden’s parliament building on Tuesday, November 19 (November 28 in the Persian calendar) and took a group photo while holding placards inscribed with “Iran protests hashtag.”
Azadeh Rajchian-Gustavsson, one of the organizers of this gathering, told Deutsche Welle: “I and four other Iranian-born representatives who were in contact with each other decided to take a simple action to support the people of Iran and asked all five Swedish parties to join us. Our goal was to use this photo to declare that defending protesting Iranians is not a partisan issue, but a matter of democracy, freedom of expression, human rights, and freedom of assembly. Rights that every parliament should defend. Because these principles are the foundation of democracy, and if these principles are trampled in a country, other parliaments must respond to it.”
This Social Democratic lawmaker told Deutsche Welle that further action is underway: “Among other things, we are planning to organize a seminar in which we can inform other representatives, political activists, and the public about the situation in Iran.”
Ms. Rajchian-Gustavsson praised the action of Sweden’s Foreign Minister in posting a tweet in English and said she expects the Swedish government, as a democratic government, to defend the civil liberties of citizens in other countries.
Earlier, Ann Linde, Sweden’s Foreign Minister, had written in a tweet: A large number of Swedes have relatives and friends in Iran and the rising tensions in this country are concerning for them.
She also wrote that Sweden’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its embassy in Tehran are closely monitoring the current situation in Iran. She called on both sides of the conflict to exercise restraint.
Source: DW
