4 August 2009
Vancouver, British Columbia
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today met with representatives of Canada’s Persian community to hear their perspectives on the situation currently unfolding in Iran.
The Prime Minister shared his grave concerns about the deteriorating condition of human rights in Iran and condemned the unwarranted crackdown by Iranian security forces in the wake of June’s disputed Presidential vote.
“Our position on Iran is clear – the recent actions by the Iranian authorities are unacceptable to us and inconsistent with any tolerable standard of human rights,” said the Prime Minister. “Iran must stop using violence against its own people, release political prisoners and journalists who have been unjustly detained and allow both domestic and international media to report freely. Our government also stands proudly with the people of Iran and with members of our own Persian community who are demanding a full and transparent investigation into allegations of electoral fraud during June’s Presidential vote.”
The Prime Minister highlighted that for six consecutive years, Canada has successfully sponsored a resolution in the United Nations General Assembly that condemns the Human Rights record of the Iranian Government. The Prime Minister also called on Iran to cease its ballistic missile program and comply fully with its international obligations with respect to its nuclear program.
Over 120,000 Canadians of Persian heritage currently reside in Canada, predominantly in the Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal metropolitan areas.
