Letter of protest to the speaker after Jomshof’s statement about Daniel Riazat

The Left Party sends a letter of protest to the Speaker of the Riksdag and all group leaders.

The reason is Richard Jomshof’s attack on V member Daniel Riazat.

– He questions Daniel’s right to be in Sweden. He highlights Daniel’s origin as a refugee, that he was not born in Sweden and that it would have no significance. It is unacceptable, says V’s group leader Samuel Gonzalez Westling.

The letter of protest was mailed on Tuesday to the Speaker and the group leaders of all Riksdag parties.

The signatory, the Left Party’s group leader Samuel Gonzales Westling, writes that Riazat is the victim of a gross abuse campaign in social media.

“The climax was reached when the chairman of the justice committee, Richard Jomshof, wrote on Twitter that Daniel Riazat should leave the country. A clear message that he should not legally be either a member of parliament or even in Sweden. Richard Jomshof also explicitly mentions here that Daniel Riazat, who has lived in Sweden since he was nine years old, has a background in another country,” the letter says.

It continues with the sentence “We are members of parliament and the main representatives elected by the people. What we say both in the chamber and outside in our various channels becomes important.”

Accused of not taking women by the hand

Samuel Gonzalez Westling tells Aftonbladet that he thinks Jomshof’s statement is racist.

What do you want the Speaker to do?

– We’ll see, the important thing is to start a discussion with the group leaders where the speaker is involved.

Richard Jomshof does not want to appear for any interview. On Tuesday, he went on the attack again against Riazat on X, formerly Twitter. He wrote that Riazat is rude, that he makes aggressive attacks on political opponents and that he does not want to take women by the hand.

Is it true that Daniel Riazat does not want to take women by the hand?

– No, it’s just a lie. There are several people in the Riksdag who do not shake hands after a debate. Daniel is not alone in that, says Gonzalez Westling.

No rule to shake hands

Is it political opponents he doesn’t want to shake hands with?

– I do not know. But there are no rules that say you must shake hands in the Riksdag.

Does he shake hands with women?

– Yes, definitely.

Don’t you think it’s part of the code of conduct to shake hands with each other after a debate?

– No, it is not part of the Riksdag’s code of conduct.

Aftonbladet has tried to get an interview with Daniel Riazat, but he has not returned with an answer.

Why doesn’t he want to be interviewed?

– This is about the work of the Riksdag. It is the group leaders together with the chairman who are responsible for how the forms for that work are to be carried out. Therefore, the question of Jomshof’s behavior is on my table.

Speaker Andreas Norlén confirms that he has received the letter and responds via his press secretary:

“The issue of how members should behave towards each other has been discussed several times in the past at meetings with the group leaders of the Riksdag parties and it will be discussed again in this forum.”