October 21, 2022
The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, P.C., M.P.
Prime Minister of Canada
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A2
The Honourable Mélanie Joly
1109-225 Chabanel West
Montréal, QC, H2N 2C9
The Honourable Marc Mendicino
Minister of Public Safety
511 Lawrence Avenue West
Toronto, ON, M6A 1A3
Delivered by email
Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, The Honourable Mélanie Joly, The Honourable Marco Mendicino:
We are writing in relation to the Iranian regime’s continued violations of human rights, including the use of violence, against Iranian demonstrators, as well as Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine. Canadians stand with the Iranian people in support of their aspirations for democracy, human rights, and justice, and they condemn the Russian regime which the Islamic Republic helps prop up.
The protests in Iran, which have only grown both in scale and intensity since the horrific murder of Mahsa Amini, are displaying the hallmarks of a democratic revolution. These women–led demonstrations are clear in their demands for regime change. To succeed, this movement for change needs Canada and the democratic world’s support.
We, the undersigned, call on you and the Government of Canada to stand with Iranians, and to take a firm stance against the Islamic Republic as well as its main sponsor, Russia. Iranians and our groups also stand in solidarity with Ukrainian people who are being attacked by Iranian missiles and drones.
The Iranian regime is a leading sponsor of international terrorism, responsible for bankrolling and arming numerous Canadian–listed terrorist entities. 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. The Iranian people want – and deserve – an end to the current brutal dictatorship and are calling for help to fight back.
Since 1979, the Islamic Republic has jailed, tortured, and executed political activists, ethnic minorities, journalists, artists, and 2SLGBTQI+ people, including children. It discriminates against women, as well as ethnic and religious minorities. It intimidates Iranians abroad and threatens their families at home. It supports violent proxies that kill innocents throughout the Middle East. It provides Hezbollah $700 million (USD) annually for the purposes of terrorizing Israel and keeping Lebanon under its control. Iranian missiles are currently attacking Kurds in northern Iraq.
The Iranian regime also supports Russia’s genocidal war of aggression against Ukraine by supplying Russia with military drones, which are used by Russia’s armed forces to attack civilians in Ukraine. The Iranian and Russian regimes – a partnership born in evil, violence, and subjugation – conduct assassinations in foreign countries against regime opponents. They take hostages; they shoot down civilian airliners; and neither value human life. The world recently commemorated the 1000th day of the Iran’s shooting down of Flight PS752. In July, the world will commemorate the 9th anniversary of the shooting down, by Russia, of Flight MH17. Both Iran and Russia support the Assad regime, whose murderous reign has brought untold misery to the Syrian people.
Russia, suffering a string of defeats in its illegal war against Ukraine, now threatens the world with its nuclear weapons. The Iranian regime seeks to do the same. Iran’s latent nuclear program coerces the international community into re-negotiating the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JPCOA) from a place of fear. Both the Russian and Iranian regimes are state sponsors of terror, and should be so recognized by the Government of Canada.
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 the government to take a firm stance against Iran and its most ally, Russia.
Specifically, we call on Canada to:
- Oppose diplomatic engagement with Iran on its nuclear program and strongly discourage any agreement that might unfreeze the Islamic Republic’s assets and will legitimize and prolong the lifespan of this cruel and murderous regime.
- Defend the principle of liberty, women’s equality, and human rights, and condemn Iran’s presence on the UN Women’s Rights Commission.
- Immediately list the IRGC – which is complicit in and responsible for violence against Iranians, Jews, and Ukrainians – as a terrorist entity, and sanction it accordingly.
- Investigate reports of regime agents and their families residing in Canada and prosecute their intimidation of Canadians.
- Support the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims against the Islamic Republic and IRGC at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
- List the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism, as the Islamic Republic of Iran has been.
- Expeditiously take action to seize any assets in Canada of sanctioned Iranian and Russian individuals and entities, in accordance with legislation in Canada’s Budget Implementation Act 2022.
The Iranian people deserve the full support of Canada in their fight for a democratic and free Iran. And the Iranian regime deserve to be treated by international community as pariahs.
Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Avideh Rafaela Motmaenfar, President of the Council of Iranian Canadians, president@CouncilOfIranianCanadians.ca.
We the undersigned,
Council of Iranian Canadians
Ukrainian Canadian Congress