Swedish Media Report on Roozbeh Parsi's Connections with Iranian Officials

A Swedish media outlet, citing leaked documents from the Iranian Foreign Ministry, has detailed the activities of certain influential academic figures who are said to be part of a group formed to influence Western political decision-making in favor of the Islamic Republic. Channel 4 Sweden's report focuses on Roozbeh Parsi, head of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, and his connections with Iranian officials during the JCPOA negotiations. Roozbeh Parsi, brother of Trita Parsi, former president of NIAC, emphasized in an interview with the Swedish media that his goal in joining this network was to gain better access to Iranian officials for a more accurate understanding of the political decision-making processes in the regime. He also denied claims that this network was established by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The report states that the group known as the 'Iran Experts Initiative' (IEI) was led from Tehran by Mohammad Javad Zarif, the former Iranian Foreign Minister. Documents also show that Roozbeh Parsi had close ties with senior diplomats close to Zarif. This information is based on thousands of leaked emails related to senior Iranian diplomats and scrutinizes the Islamic Republic's influence campaign between 2012 and 2014, a period when the regime was negotiating its nuclear program with the West. The published report, referencing exchanged emails, indicates that the Islamic Republic sought to establish an 'NGO' composed of influential Western researchers and academics. Roozbeh Parsi told Channel 4 Sweden that it is likely that Iranian officials had motivations for this group, but he claims that the group's purpose for participating in the established network was different. Mr. Parsi, who was working as a researcher at Lund University in Sweden at the time, attended the first meeting of this network held at the five-star Palais Coburg hotel in Vienna, Austria, on May 13, 2014. He had informed his employer about his work with this network and his meetings with senior Iranian officials. Mr. Parsi stated to Channel 4 that his participation in the meetings was beneficial because they were not conferences or press statements, allowing for the observation and assessment of the decision-making process in real-time. Following the publication of the Channel 4 Sweden report, the Swedish Institute of International Affairs issued a statement, a copy of which was provided to VOA, reaffirming their confidence in Mr. Parsi and categorically denying any claims of influence. The institute stated that meetings between Parsi and other analysts and researchers with representatives of the Islamic Republic during a time when the West was considering the possibility of negotiating a nuclear deal with Iran were 'neither unusual nor suspicious.' Channel 4 Sweden noted in its report that it is unclear whether this group is still active, but its members continue to speak in the media and are active on social media. Roozbeh Parsi told Channel 4 that he is no longer part of this group. Roozbeh Parsi's name also appeared in the indictment against Hamid Noury, accused of participating in the 1988 executions in Gohardasht prison. Noury referred to Parsi as 'Professor' multiple times during parts of his defense sessions. Roozbeh Parsi testified in court on March 16, 2022. VOA reported on this session, noting that Roozbeh Parsi introduced himself as an expert on Iranian history and stated that he had worked for the European Union for four years and has been researching Iran since the 1990s. The court members' questions to Mr. Parsi focused on the Iran-Iraq War, the nature of the Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization, and the reasons for the Iranian government's opposition to this organization, as well as the Mersad operation or Forough Javidan and the role of the Iraqi government in it. Roozbeh Parsi confirmed the 1988 executions, stating that the difference in these executions was that these individuals (the executed prisoners) had served their sentences and were supposed to be released, 'but they were judged again without committing another crime.'