Calls mount for Swiss to take tougher stance against Iran

The letter comes in response to a violent crackdown by Iranian police against protestors in Iran that were triggered by the death of Mahsa Amini on September 16. Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved

More than 100 high-profile names from culture and science have called on the Swiss government to adopt economic sanctions against the Iranian regime.

The open letter to the government comes amid a crackdown on anti-government protestors in Iran.

Iranians are risking their lives for freedom and democracy, said the appeal, published on Thursday evening. “We hear the call of the Iranian people all the way to Switzerland,” says the letter, which was signed by over 100 public figures in Switzerland including writer Sibylle Berg, literary scholar Elisabeth Bronfen, artist Pipilotti Rist, film director Samir and historian Jakob Tanner.

The open letter was organised primarily by Swiss people who have roots in Iran, including historian Kijan Espahangizi. 

“What is happening in Iran affects us all,” Espahangizi toldExternal link the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper. “Just as Ukraine is about Switzerland, Iran is also about Switzerland.”

The letter makes six demands of the Swiss government including implementation of all EU and US economic sanctions against Iran, a lifetime ban on entry to Switzerland for members of the regime, and the freezing of all funds in Swiss bank accounts.

It also calls for the Revolutionary Guard and the Iranian paramilitary militia Basij to be classified as terrorist organisations. The government is also called upon to summon the Iranian ambassador to Bern and to grant protection against deportation to all opponents of the regime in Switzerland.

Mediator

Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis faced criticism for not reacting to the violent crackdown on protestors quickly enough. The foreign ministry released a statement on October 6 condemning the excessive use of force by Iranian security forces against protestors.

Switzerland represents the diplomatic interests of the US in Iran and plays a special role as a mediator between the West and Iran.

The letter comes in response to a violent crackdown by Iranian police against protestors outraged by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish girl, on September 16. She had been arrested by Iran’s morality police for violating the Islamic dress code.

Since her death, thousands of people have been demonstrating throughout the country against the government’s repressive policies and the obligation to wear headscarves. According to media reports, nearly 200 people have died and thousands have been arrested.