Anniversary of Mahsa; Canada Imposes More Sanctions on Iranian Officials; Deputy and Minister of Raisi on the Sanctions List

On the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, Canada announced additional sanctions against Iran. Melanie Joly, Canada's Foreign Minister, announced on Friday that Canada is imposing further sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. According to the Canadian government website, this is the fourteenth sanctions package that Canada has imposed on the Iranian regime since October 2022, bringing the total number of sanctioned individuals to 135. These actions are coordinated with the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United States, aimed at demonstrating Canada's unwavering resolve to respond to the ongoing abuses by the Iranian regime against its citizens. Today's sanctions target six individuals involved in gross and systematic human rights violations, including the Secretary and three senior members of Iran's Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution, who are the main architects of the regime's repressive mandatory hijab policy. This sanctions package also includes a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran's Kurdish regions, as well as the highest-ranking member of Iran's parliament in national security and foreign affairs. The names of the sanctioned individuals include Abdolhossein Khosrowpanah, Hassan Rahimpour Azghadi, Ansieh Khazali, Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili, Mohammad Masrour, and Mojtaba Zolnouri. These sanctions impose a trading prohibition on the listed individuals, block any potential assets in Canada, and remove them from the framework of immigration and refugee protection law. According to the Canadian government website, today's announcement reflects Canada's ongoing efforts to impose costs on the Iranian regime for its blatant human rights violations. As the Iranian regime continues to suppress its citizens, especially women and girls, Canada will continue to support the people of Iran and urges the Islamic Republic to end all forms of harassment, intimidation, and violence against its citizens. According to Melanie Joly, "Mahsa Amini's death was a direct result of the systematic harassment and repression of women and girls in Iran by the Iranian regime, which has accelerated in the past 12 months." She added, "Today's sanctions demonstrate our unwavering commitment to stand with the people of Iran, especially women and girls, as they bravely continue to defend their human rights." According to the Canadian government website, in recent months, Canada has led international efforts in response to the Iranian regime's actions by imposing sanctions on 31 entities and 129 Iranian individuals for gross and systematic human rights violations and serious threats to international peace and security. In October 2022, Canada held a meeting of female foreign ministers to hear directly from Iranian women about the human rights situation in Iran. Additionally, for the twenty-first consecutive year, Canada will manage the United Nations General Assembly resolution on the human rights situation in Iran this fall.