Canada Announces Another Deportee Linked to the Islamic Republic: Rouhollah Firouznameh

Canada is deporting an Iranian for involvement in "crimes against humanity." Global News Canada reported on Thursday that an individual named Rouhollah Firouznameh, who has collaborated with the Islamic Republic for years in the installation of security cameras, is being expelled from Canada. According to Global News, these cameras have been used to monitor prisoners in facilities where torture occurs and to surveil political opponents. Three executives of the company supplying these cameras and Firouznameh's associates were senior members of the Ministry of Intelligence, and a former Vice President of Iran was a shareholder in this company. The report further states that a senior commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in the protection team of Ali Khamenei was also a business partner of Firouznameh. Global News noted that Firouznameh, who is 45 years old, entered Canada in 2018 with his family on a tourist visa and subsequently applied for asylum and permanent residency after residing in Toronto. It is reported that Firouznameh claimed during his asylum hearing that he now considers the IRGC a "terrorist organization" and was unaware of the abuses by the Iranian regime using the cameras installed by his company. However, the Refugee Board rejected his claims and asylum application in 2021, deeming him complicit in crimes against humanity. Firouznameh has persistently sought to obtain residency in Canada and in 2023 requested a review from the Refugee Board, which was also denied. He is now attempting to overturn his deportation order through the Ontario Superior Court, where a judge confirmed his expulsion due to complicity in Iran's crimes against humanity. The Canadian website Global News also reported on December 6 that a case has been opened for the deportation of a Deputy Minister of the Interior of the Islamic Republic living in Toronto. He was identified as Salman Samani, 42, who served as the spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior during Rouhani's presidency, Deputy Coordinator of the Ministry of Interior, and the Minister's representative in the commission reviewing the electoral propaganda for the 13th presidential election. Last year, Canada imposed extensive sanctions on members of the Iranian regime due to the brutal suppression of anti-government protests. The Canada Border Services Agency recently announced that it has begun processing the cases of 10 Iranians under sanctions linked to the Islamic Republic, with 9 cases likely leading to deportation.