Iranian opposition figure Reza Pahlavi to address Swedish parliament

Reza Pahlavi, son of Iran’s last shah, will visit Sweden and speak before the country’s parliament, Swedish public broadcaster SVT Nyheter reports, citing Svenska Dagbladet. The visit, scheduled for Monday, April 13, follows an invitation from the parliamentary groups of the Christian Democrats (KD) and the Sweden Democrats (SD).

Magnus Berntsson, KD’s foreign policy spokesperson, told SvD the visit was a positive step, calling Pahlavi “the person who can unite the opposition in Iran.” He added that Sweden’s large Iranian diaspora, many of whom advocate for democratic governance in Iran, made dialogue with opposition figures essential.

Pahlavi, who has lived in exile in the US since the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew his father, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has long been a prominent voice in Iran’s opposition movement. He has consistently advocated for nonviolent resistance and a secular democracy in Iran.