Davos Urged To Revoke Invitation To Iran FM Over IRGC Ties

A logo of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is seen as people attend the WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 24, 2018.
A logo of the World Economic Forum (WEF) is seen as people attend the WEF annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland January 24, 2018.

The World Economic Forum has been urged to revoke its invitation to Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian over his close links to the IRGC.

Mark Wallace, the CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, and Alireza Akhondi, a Swedish parliament member of Iranian descent, voiced their concerns on Wednesday over reports that Amir-Abdollahian is scheduled to travel to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos.

“Amir-Abdollahian is an active card-carrying member of the IRGC’s Basij paramilitary force,” Wallace and Akhondi wrote in a letter to the forum and Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis.

They added that granting a visa to Amir-Abdollahian and allowing him to participate in the Davos forum would be “a slap in the face” to the Iranians who have been fighting the Islamic Republic during the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement. Last year, Iranian government officials were not invited to the Davos forum amid the nationwide uprising sparked by the death in morality police custody of Mahsa Amini.

Iran’s foreign minister is also an affiliate of the IRGC Quds Force and was involved in planning meetings in Beirut and Tehran prior to the Hamas October 7 onslaught on Israel, Wallace and Akhondi noted.

“Switzerland and the World Economic Forum would not dream of inviting Hamas leadership to travel to Davos. By the same token, they should similarly deny a visa and invitation to its major Iranian sponsor,” the letter went on to say.

The 54th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum will be held from January 15 to January 19, 2024.