A Belgian parliamentary committee has approved a resolution backing the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization, MP Darya Safai said on Wednesday.
Safai, a lawmaker of Iranian descent, said the vote in the foreign affairs committee marks a key step in her long-standing campaign to hold the IRGC accountable for its role in international terrorism and domestic repression.
“Belgium is one of the first countries in Europe to take this step explicitly,” she said on X. “Belgium is leading the way internationally, and it is now up to the European Union to follow through on this stance.”
She added that the resolution also calls for “the unconditional and immediate release of Ahmadreza Djalali” and an end to executions carried out by Iran’s authorities.
Djalali, a Swedish-Iranian academic, was arrested in Iran in 2016 and sentenced to death the following year on charges of spying for Israel, which he denies. In April, Sweden’s foreign minister called on Iran to release him on humanitarian grounds, citing his deteriorating health and harsh prison conditions.
Safai introduced the proposal more than two years ago and previously gained backing from then-Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, who said Belgium supported including the IRGC in the EU sanctions regime.
The new Belgian government, led by Bart De Wever, reaffirmed that position in its coalition agreement, which said "The government advocates for the inclusion of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on the European Union's list of terrorist organizations."
The IRGC, a powerful parallel military with extensive economic and intelligence roles, was designated a terrorist organization by the United States in 2019 under President Donald Trump. Washington and Ottawa have called on European allies to follow suit.
