Payam Akhavan (LLB, Osgoode Hall Law School, 1989; LLM SJD, Harvard Law School, 1990) is a professor of international law and senior fellow at the University of Toronto’s Massey College. He is also a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration and special adviser to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. He was formerly a full professor in McGill University’s Faculty of Law and has also had appointments at Yale Law School, the European University Institute, the University of Oxford, University Paris Nanterre, and Sciences Po Law School. He has been a UN human rights officer and was the first legal advisor to the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague. He has appeared as counsel and advocate in notable cases before the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights and in other jurisdictions. He delivered the CBC’s Massey Lectures in 2017, is a recipient of the Human Rights Award of the Law Society of Ontario and has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. These sanctions are in response to gross human rights violations that have been committed in Iran, including its systematic persecution of women and in particular, the egregious actions committed by Iran’s so-called ‘Morality Police,’ which led to the death of Mahsa Amini while under their custody. Iran’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.
Effective immediately, Canada is imposing sanctions against Iran in response to its gross and systematic human rights violations, as well as a result of Iran’s grave and ongoing breach of international peace and security.
“Canada once again joins the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the African Union and the international community in strongly condemning the fighting in Burkina Faso between different military factions fighting for power with no regard for the civilian population.”
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, met with Antony Blinken, United States Secretary of State, today during her trip to Washington, D.C.
We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in our condemnation in the strongest possible terms of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and its continued violations of Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence.
“Canada strongly condemns Iran’s missile and drone attacks against the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which have resulted in multiple civilian deaths and injuries. The Government of Canada extends its condolences to all those affected.
The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing further sanctions in relation to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, including the sham referendums in and the attempted annexation of the Ukrainian territories of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
“Today, we commemorate the painful history of residential schools in Canada and honour and provide space for the Survivors, the missing children, the families and the communities who felt and continue to feel the devastating impacts of these institutions.”
