National calls for the Prime Minister to designate the Iranian Revolution Guard Corps as a terrorism organisation, National’s Foreign Affairs spokesperson Gerry Brownlee says.

“The National Party has signed a letter alongside all opposition parties calling on the Prime Minister to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorism organization under the Terrorism Suppression Act.

“The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is responsible for the dreadful atrocities currently being committed, particularly against women in Iran who are simply asking for the sort of freedom that we take for granted every day here in New Zealand.

“The Iranian Revolutionary Guard is a group that has considerable international reach and we need to ensure that they do not get any kind of a foothold here in New Zealand, especially if some of their members decided to try and use us as a safe haven.

“As signatories to the letter, we urge the Prime Minister to act with all haste in making this designation. The brave Iranians who protested for freedom from the brutal oppressive Government in Tehran deserve our support.”