Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to calls for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to be deemed a terrorist entity on Monday by saying it was within the realm of possibility as he faces public pressure to do so.
“We will continue our work, including continuing to look for ways to responsibly list the IRGC as a terrorist organization,” said Trudeau, while speaking at a memorial for the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.
Flight 752 was shot down by the IRGC while flying over Tehran on Jan. 8, 2020, at a time of rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran over the assassination of chief military leader Qasem Soleimani.
There were 55 Canadians and 30 permanent residents aboard the flight when it crashed, all 176 passengers were killed in the attack.
The victims’ families have since called for the IRGC to be listed as a terrorist organization in Canada but to no avail.
“The government must end the delay,” said Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre in a statement. “Canada must be a leader in condemning the actions of these terrorists and stand in solidarity with the victims and their families.”
One branch of the IRGC, known as the Quds Force, was labelled a terrorist entity under the Harper government in 2012.
The Quds Force represented the external affairs branch of the IRGC apparatus, which helped to develop strong relations between other military organizations like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
“Canadian law needs to be much stronger,” British Columbia lawyer Ramin Joubin told CTV News.
Joubin has been compiling a database that tracks the number of Iranian regime members operating in Canada for some time.
He said that those who speak out against Iran are often threatened by regime advocates.
“We have about 700 names right now that either have temporary residence, permanent residence or citizenship that are in Canada and that are somehow regime affiliates,” said Joubin.
“They came to Canada knowing this was going to be their safe haven.”
Joubin said that if they were put on Canada’s terrorism list, Canadian law enforcement would have the necessary tools to prosecute IRGC agents and loyalists who intimidate and harass Canadians who speak out against the regime.
“[The IRGC] smell[s] weakness in your legislation, they’re going to come in and they’re going to take advantage of that,” said Joubin.
The federal government has said that they are hesitant to label the IRGC a terrorist group because so many of its members are conscripted, however, the U.S. has already done so under former president Trump in 2019.
