Volvo lorries are being used to carry Iranian missiles, campaigners claim, as they named Swedish companies they say have close ties to Tehran.
United Against Nuclear Iran alleges Volvo is one of a number of companies that have business interests in the country but have refused to explain their dealings or agreed to withdraw.
The pressure group have begun what they say will be a series of Europe-wide events naming businesses with ties to Tehran and chose Sweden to launch its campaign, as two of its citizens are detained in Iran.
Johan Floderus is an EU diplomat jailed for more than 500 days and Ahmadreza Djalali is facing the death penalty.
Requests for withdrawal from Iran or information about business dealings with the country were sent in early September to 40 companies and six universities, but only seven responded, UANI said at an event in the Swedish Parliament.
UANI claim Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, which plays a leading roll in Iran's nuclear programme, controls between a “third and two thirds of the economy”. Doing business in Iran risks “entanglement, if not outright collaboration, with this most heinous organisation”.
In its letter to Volvo, UANI asked the company if it intends to sever ties with Iran. It said it has not received a response.
The pressure group released an image showing a lorry with the Volvo badge on the front towing a trailer carrying an Iranian missile.
Other images show similar vehicles and others with the logo covered but with “FH16" written above the windscreen. One of the vehicles was being used as a tank transporter.
According to the Volvo Trucks website, the FH16 is a model of one of its vehicles.
Alireza Akhondi, a member of the Swedish Parliament who sits on UANI's board, urged Volvo Trucks to end its ties with Iran.
“It has been clear that your products are being used for purposes that either you didn’t want to see or thought wasn’t going to happen,” he told The National.
“But we’ve seen the result and you have the opportunity to take responsibility now and be on the right side of history, to be part of the solution and not the problem.”
Mr Akhondi said that Volvo’s case should be a warning to other companies thinking about exporting to Iran.
“Many products have dual civilian-military use,” he added. “I don’t think that companies such as Volvo would want their products to be used in this way.”
Mark Wallace, a former US ambassador to the UN for management and reform and UANI’s chief executive, said: “I don’t mean to pick on Volvo but I have photos of Volvo trucks carrying IRGC missiles. This must change.”
UANI also accuses Iran of threatening activists opposed to the regime living in Sweden through what it says are “well-financed” covert operations.
It claims there is strong evidence that 11 active Swedish companies are doing business in Iran, including telecoms firm Ericsson, industrial battery maker Alcad and Scania, which makes lorries and busses.
A further 18 are being investigated over suspected ties to Tehran, while five have severed ties as a result of pressure.
“For those who answered, this is a good sign and they’ve been honest enough to explain themselves,” said Mr Akhondi, a member of the Centre Party.
“I would really like to praise their bravery to understand that their business with the Islamic Republic has consequences.”
Kasra Aarabi, UK director of UANI, also pointed to the risk of European universities engaging with Iran and highlighted a document published by the Supreme Council for Cultural Revolution and co-signed by the IRGC commander-in-chief.
According to Mr Aarabi, it says the IRGC and the regime’s intelligence apparatus is seeking “maximum access to Iranian universities and their international partnerships for the procurement of sensitive military research and technology”.
If any European universities are engaging with Iranian counterparts, he warns against “sharing dual-use research, ideas or technologies, as many of them are, this research and technology will end up in the hands of the IRGC”.
A Scania representative said: “We have explained in a reply to UANI that Scania was committed to complying with laws and regulations such as around embargoes and other international sanctions as well as export control, in all of our global operations.
“We are equally committed to following principles and standards of sustainability and business ethics, including our responsibility to respect human rights and act in line with human rights and humanitarian law.
“For all of this, we have a solid corporate governance framework in place, including, but not limited to, our code of conduct, other policies and guidelines. This covers also rigorous audit and other internal processes to continuously monitor and ensure that all parts of Scania’s organisation acts accordingly.”
Volvo said: “We have had no business operation of our own in Iran but instead used to work with private partners.
“For many years, it has not been possible for us to conduct business in Iran due to the general situation in the country, with the exception of delivering spare parts to meet our warranty obligations, conduct service campaigns and safety recalls.
It added that “used trucks are sold and resold by other parties on the regional market several times during a truck’s life cycle”.
“We have no influence over who buys or sells or operates used Volvo trucks in Iran or for which purpose,” it said.
Ericsson and Alcad have been approached for comment.
ICC T20 Rankings
1. India - 270 ranking points
2. England - 265 points
3. Pakistan - 261 points
4. South Africa - 253 points
5. Australia - 251 points
6. New Zealand - 250 points
7. West Indies - 240 points
8. Bangladesh - 233 points
9. Sri Lanka - 230 points
10. Afghanistan - 226 points
Company%20profile
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Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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Results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m; Winner: AF Al Baher, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Talento Puma, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,950m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
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4pm: Conditions (TB) Dh125,000 1,400m; Winner: Dead-heat Raakez, Jim Crowley, Nicholas Bachalard/Attribution, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Jebel Ali Sprint (TB) Dh500,000 1,000m; Winner: AlKaraama, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m; Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
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Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
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Flights: 149
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Calories: 220,000
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Donations: GPB37,300
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Blisters: 15
Bumps on the head: 2
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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