Iran

When the Trudeau government imposed sanctions earlier this month against a handful of Iranian individuals and entities for gross human rights violations such as the killing of Mahsa Amini, there was great concern that this represented the summation of the federal response to Iran’s egregious behaviour.

… Was this to deprive Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre, who has been championing this measure in recent days in the House of Commons, of a win? Why not truly use all the tools at the government’s disposal?

The Trudeau government is sucking and blowing at the same time by publicly calling Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — the thugs now terrorizing the brave women of Iran — a terrorist organization, while refusing to declare this under Canada’s Anti-Terrorism Act.

OTTAWA—The Canadian government will further penalize leaders of Iran’s theocratic regime and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for human rights abuses, but stopped short of designating the military branch of Iran’s armed forces a terrorist entity.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new economic and immigration sanctions, more money for enforcement and more targeted individual sanctions. He also said Canada will list the Iranian regime under a provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a move he said will target more than half of the IRGC leadership, by permanently banning “more than 10,000 officers and senior members” from Canada.

OTTAWA – Relatives of those killed when Iran’s military shot down Flight PS752 in January 2020 say Canada has become a safe haven for regime officials.

“Canada has become a safe haven for the criminals of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Hamed Esmaeilion testified Thursday afternoon to the House justice committee.

Esmaeilion leads a group representing grieving families, many of whom are aware of numerous people who have worked for the regime, or are related to senior officials, moving freely in Canada.