441-02691 (Foreign affairs)

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s failure to uphold its international human rights obligations, including through the imposition of repressive, discriminatory laws and policies targeted at women, girls and minorities is deeply concerning. This failure is perpetuated by the regime’s culture of impunity. All perpetrators of human rights violations must be held accountable.

The application of the death penalty in the context of the “Women, Life, Freedom” Movement as a measure to silence and limit dissent, as well as its inflated use against ethnic and religious minorities, is a serious concern. Canada calls on the Islamic Republic of Iran to end the use of the death penalty – or at minimum establish a moratorium on executions with immediate effect – and to ensure that prisoners and detainees are protected from all forms of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Canada will continue to shine a spotlight on the Islamic Republic of Iran’s alarming use of the death penalty and blatant violations of human rights of prisoners and detainees.

For decades, Canada has held the Islamic Republic of Iran to account for its human rights violations, imposing financial and other restrictions on Iranian entities, and directing international attention to its continued abhorrent conduct. This includes addressing the dire situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran.  

Since September 2022, Canada has imposed 18 rounds of sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, with the latest announced on September 17, 2024. These sanctions target the Islamic Republic of Iran’s security, intelligence, and economic sectors under the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) and the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (JVCFOA). Since October 9, 2024, Canada has implemented targeted sanctions against 455 Iranian individuals and entities under SEMA and JVCFOA. These sanctions focus on Iranian individuals and entities responsible for or complicit in human rights violations and abuses. Canada’s sanctions regime on the Islamic Republic of Iran is a critical component of our commitment to addressing the deterioration of human rights in the country. Canada will continue to call attention to those responsible for human rights violations and global instability.   

In November 2022, Canada designated the Islamic Republic of Iran as a regime that has engaged in terrorism and gross and systematic human rights violations under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. This designation rendered tens of thousands of senior members of the Iranian regime, including many members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, inadmissible to Canada. In September 2024, Canada brought forward the start date of the designation to June 23, 2003. This amended date reflects the day when the Islamic Republic of Iran arbitrarily detained, and subsequently tortured and killed, Iranian-Canadian photojournalist Zahra Kazemi while in custody. This change rendered any senior official who served in the Iranian government at any time since June 23, 2003, inadmissible to Canada.

On the international stage, Canada continues to champion the calls by Iranians to the Iranian regime for justice, accountability and full respect for their human rights. At the United Nations (UN), Canada worked with other member states to remove the Islamic Republic of Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women in December 2022, and supported efforts at the 55^th session of the UN Human Rights Council to extend the mandates of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran for one year. These actions maintain the credibility of international institutions that seek to advance human rights and gender equality and ensure that there continues to be human rights mechanisms documenting the situation of human rights in Iran and identifying potential measures for accountability. The Islamic Republic of Iran must fully cooperate with these two human rights mechanisms, including by allowing unhindered access to the country and to gather information critical to carrying out the mandates.

At the 79^th session of the UN General Assembly, Canada is leading the resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran for the 22^nd consecutive year. This resolution documents the regime’s poor human rights record and specifies concrete actions that the Islamic Republic of Iran can take to fully respect its human rights obligations. This resolution remains a key component of international efforts to maintain pressure on the Islamic Republic of Iran. It signals to the Iranian people that the international community remains united in its commitments to uphold human rights.   

The rights to freedom of opinion, expression, peaceful assembly and association are critical to the realization of other human rights. Canada is steadfast in its promotion and protection of human rights. Canada recognizes and applauds human rights defenders in their essential role to advance respect for human rights, often at great risk to themselves, their loved ones, their communities, and the organizations and movements they often represent. 

Canada maintains a controlled engagement policy with the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Canada and Iran’s reciprocal diplomatic presence ended in 2012 when Canada closed its embassy in Tehran and expelled Iranian diplomats from Ottawa. Canada collaborates with partner countries, UN experts, reputable human rights and civil society organizations, among other key stakeholders, to monitor the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including the administration of the death penalty and the detention of human rights defenders. This collaboration is based on Voices at Risk: Canada’s Guidelines on Supporting Human Rights Defenders, which provides practical advice, tools, and resources to Canadian officials supporting human rights defenders around the world. Section 3.9 of the Guidelines provides information on attending trials and hearings, and visiting detained human rights defenders, recognizing that these efforts can demonstrate a clear and visible expression of Canada’s concern, enable officials to monitor legal proceedings and observe whether due process is respected, and allow networking opportunities with human rights organizations, other diplomats and local authorities working on cases of concern. It is recognized that local authorities do not always allow foreign diplomats to attend trials and may implement restrictions on visiting human rights defenders in detention.

Canada will continue to explore opportunities to hold the Islamic Republic of Iran accountable for its human rights violations. Canada stands with the people of Iran as they demand full respect for their human rights.