An Oct. 21 letter by the Council of Iranian Canadians co-signed by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress demands that the Liberal government takes further action to condemn the nation’s Islamist regime following the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody.
In a letter sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino, the council called on Ottawa to immediately list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity and seize assets of sanctioned Iranians.
“The Iranian regime is a danger to global security – providing training, arms, and personnel to several of non–state terrorist entities as well as to other authoritarian state supporters of terrorism, such as Syria and Russia,” writes the council.
“(Canada must” immediately) list the IRGC – which is complicit in and responsible for violence against Iranians, Ukrainians, Jews, and others – as a terrorist entity, and sanction it accordingly.”
The Council of Iranian Canadians is comprised of Canadians of Persian descent and has hosted several rallies in recent weeks to protest the Iranian regime.
Despite repeated calls from the Iranian community and Conservatives to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity, Trudeau has since refused to do so.
Earlier this month, Trudeau announced a permanent travel ban on 10,000 officials from the group via special immigration measures.
Critics have since stated that the move was not enough and that the IRGC should be fully designated as a terrorist entity alongside other groups like Al-Qaeda.
“While our groups are encouraged by the Government of Canada’s latest targeted sanctions and travel ban on the leadership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), our groups are renewing our call on our government to take a firm stance against the Islamic Republic and its ally, Russia,” the letter read.
Other calls to action include opposing any diplomatic engagement with Iran on its nuclear program. The council also wants to see Canada list the Russian Federation as a terrorist entity for its invasion of Ukraine.
“The Iranian people deserve the full support of Canada in their fight for a democratic and free Iran. And the Iranian regime deserves to be treated by the international community as pariahs,” wrote the council.
In an Oct. 14 tweet, Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre demanded that the Liberals stopped “dragging their feet” and commit to the listing of the IRGC.
“Conservatives stand with the people of Iran fighting for their freedom,” tweeted Poilievre. “Liberals must stop dragging their feet and list the entire IRGC as a terrorist organization now.”
