Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10STOCKHOLM66
2010-02-12 15:09:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Stockholm
Cable title:
VIOLENT PROTEST AT IRANIAN EMBASSY IN STOCKHOLM
how-toVZCZCXRO2866 OO RUEHBC RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKUK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR RUEHTRO DE RUEHSM #0066 0431509 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 121509Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY STOCKHOLM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5110 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000066
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: PTER PREL IR SW
SUBJECT: VIOLENT PROTEST AT IRANIAN EMBASSY IN STOCKHOLM
Classified By: POL Counselor Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L STOCKHOLM 000066
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: PTER PREL IR SW
SUBJECT: VIOLENT PROTEST AT IRANIAN EMBASSY IN STOCKHOLM
Classified By: POL Counselor Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (U) About 300 Iranian-Swedes demonstrated at the Iranian
Embassy in Stockholm on February 11, the 31st anniversary of
the Islamic Revolution. The event became violent when 30
masked protesters tried to break through police lines,
according to media reports. Two protesters were arrested for
knife possession and violent resistance. Several protesters
and one police officer were injured. Smaller protests were
staged in downtown Stockholm throughout the day, and an
estimated 1,000 people gathered in the city of Gothenburg,
although little violence was reported at those gatherings.
2. (U) Nima Hatefi of the Iranian Association told reporters
for Aftonbladet, a Stockholm tabloid, that many of Thursday's
protesters had family members who had been killed by Iran's
Islamic regime. (Note: Sweden is home to an Iranian
community of about 80,000, of which an estimated 57,000 were
born in Iran. The majority came to Sweden around the time of
the 1979 Islamic Revolution. End Note.)
3. (U) This is the second time that violence has erupted at
the Iranian Embassy since the June 2009 elections in Iran.
In the first incident on June 26, about 100 protesters
entered the Embassy, injuring one employee. Iran's official
news agency IRNA called it a "terrorist attack," and Iran
summoned Swedish Ambassador Magnus Werndstedt to protest the
incident, according to the Tehran Times. The same article
claimed that Sweden's "Deputy Foreign Minister" subsequently
called Iran's Ambassador in Stockholm to say "no such
incident" would happen again at the Embassy.
4. (C) Comment: While Sweden and Iran traditionally maintain
friendly diplomatic relations, these protests indicate the
Iranian-Swedish community's increasing intolerance with the
political situation back home. Continuing agitation by the
Iranian diaspora in Sweden could increase pressure on the
Swedish government to do more to bring Iran in-line with
expectations of the international community.
BARZUN
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: PTER PREL IR SW
SUBJECT: VIOLENT PROTEST AT IRANIAN EMBASSY IN STOCKHOLM
Classified By: POL Counselor Marc Koehler for reasons 1.4 (b,d)
1. (U) About 300 Iranian-Swedes demonstrated at the Iranian
Embassy in Stockholm on February 11, the 31st anniversary of
the Islamic Revolution. The event became violent when 30
masked protesters tried to break through police lines,
according to media reports. Two protesters were arrested for
knife possession and violent resistance. Several protesters
and one police officer were injured. Smaller protests were
staged in downtown Stockholm throughout the day, and an
estimated 1,000 people gathered in the city of Gothenburg,
although little violence was reported at those gatherings.
2. (U) Nima Hatefi of the Iranian Association told reporters
for Aftonbladet, a Stockholm tabloid, that many of Thursday's
protesters had family members who had been killed by Iran's
Islamic regime. (Note: Sweden is home to an Iranian
community of about 80,000, of which an estimated 57,000 were
born in Iran. The majority came to Sweden around the time of
the 1979 Islamic Revolution. End Note.)
3. (U) This is the second time that violence has erupted at
the Iranian Embassy since the June 2009 elections in Iran.
In the first incident on June 26, about 100 protesters
entered the Embassy, injuring one employee. Iran's official
news agency IRNA called it a "terrorist attack," and Iran
summoned Swedish Ambassador Magnus Werndstedt to protest the
incident, according to the Tehran Times. The same article
claimed that Sweden's "Deputy Foreign Minister" subsequently
called Iran's Ambassador in Stockholm to say "no such
incident" would happen again at the Embassy.
4. (C) Comment: While Sweden and Iran traditionally maintain
friendly diplomatic relations, these protests indicate the
Iranian-Swedish community's increasing intolerance with the
political situation back home. Continuing agitation by the
Iranian diaspora in Sweden could increase pressure on the
Swedish government to do more to bring Iran in-line with
expectations of the international community.
BARZUN