Canada imposes additional sanctions on the Iranian regime

From: Global Affairs Canada

News release

October 13, 2022 - Seoul, South Korea - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. These sanctions build upon the ones announced on October 3, 2022, and respond to the Iranian regime’s systematic human rights violations and ongoing actions that destabilize regional security. The regime’s continued grave and ongoing breaches of international law are well known and documented, including its blatant disregard for human life. Canada will always stand with Iranians and the victims of this regime, including with the families and loved ones of the victims of the downing of Flight PS752.

Today’s sanctions list 17 individuals and 3 entities that have participated in or enabled gross human rights violations, including against Iranian women, and perpetuated disinformation activities to justify the Iranian regime’s repression and persecution of its citizens.

This list includes, but is not limited to:

  • Saeed Mortazavi, the Iranian Revolutionary Court prosecutor who ordered the torture of Canadian-Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi; Kazemi died as a result of her mistreatment while in custody in 2003.
  • Amir Hatami, Brigadier General in the Iranian regular army, senior advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the Iranian Armed Forces and a former minister of defence.
  • Hossein Shariatmadari, Editor-in-Chief of Kayhan, a conservative state-controlled newspaper that regularly publishes anti-Semitic propaganda, including Holocaust denial, and threats against Israel, the United States and Gulf states.
  • Manouchehr Amanollahi, Commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province in southwestern Iran.
  • Gholamreza Ziaei, director of Rajaei Shahr (from October 2017 to June 2019) and Evin (from July 2019 to June 2020) prisons.
  • Peyman Jebelli, Head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.
  • Ali Larijani, member of Iran’s Expediency Council, former IRGC official and former speaker of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, also known as the Iranian Majlis or Iranian Parliament.
  • Mohammad Javad Zarif, foreign minister of Iran from 2013 to 2021.

These measures prohibit dealings related to the listed individuals and entities, effectively freezing any assets they may hold in Canada. Individuals listed in response to gross and systematic violations of human rights are also rendered inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Canada is committed to standing up for human rights and taking action against those who violate them. This includes ensuring that senior members of the Iranian regime and its agencies do not benefit from or receive any economic or social support from Canada or its citizens.

Quotes

“The actions of the Iranian regime speak for themselves – the world has watched for years as it has pursued its agenda of violence, fear and propaganda. Canada will continue to defend human rights and we will continue to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people, including women and youth, who are courageously demanding a future where their human rights will be fully respected.”

- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Quick facts

  • On October 7, 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland announced Canada’s intent to implement several new measures to respond to Iran’s ongoing human rights violations and threats to regional peace and security, including:

    • listing the Iranian regime, including top leaders from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by pursuing a designation under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
    • expanding sanctions against the IRGC and introducing a new tailored regulation to ensure no sanctioned individual connected to the IRGC can enter Canada, pending the passage of Bill S-8;
    • investing $76 million to strengthen Canada’s capacity to implement sanctions and ensure we can move more quickly to freeze and seize sanctioned individuals’ assets, including through a dedicated bureau at Global Affairs Canada and additional support to the RCMP to investigate and identify assets and gather evidence; and
    • pursuing all the tools at our disposal, including the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, which enables restrictive financial and property measures for foreign nationals responsible for gross violations of human rights.

  • Prior to today’s measures, Canada had imposed sanctions on 66 Iranian individuals and 170 Iranian entities, including the IRGC and the regime’s security, intelligence and economic apparatus.

  • In 2012, Canada designated the Islamic Republic of Iran as a supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act. In concert with the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, this listing allows victims to bring civil action against Iran for losses or damages from an act of terrorism with links to Iran committed anywhere in the world.

Associated links

Contacts

Adrien Blanchard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
Adrien.Blanchard@international.gc.ca

Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
media@international.gc.ca
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