Canada Issues Deportation Order for Baqer Ardeshir Larijani, Brother of Sadeq and Ali Larijani

The Canadian government has issued a deportation order for Baqer Ardeshir Larijani, one of the Larijani brothers. According to a government statement, Baqer Ardeshir Larijani, 62, entered Canada as a permanent resident with his wife and son in September 2017 and has been sentenced to deportation from the country. The statement notes that the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada has rejected Baqer's appeal against the deportation order. Based on the ruling issued on January 25, 2024, a hearing took place on November 29, 2023, and the appeal for the cancellation of the deportation order, citing 'humanitarian and compassionate' reasons for caring for his sick mother in Iran, was denied. Baqer Ardeshir Larijani entered Canada as a permanent resident based on 'personal skills' as a physician in the summer of 2017. His 30-year-old son is now a Canadian citizen, and his wife's application for citizenship is under review. Baqer's daughter, who also became a permanent resident in the same year, has been residing in the United States in recent years. The ruling states that the appellant spent about 300 days in Canada during his permanent residency and continued to work as a professor at Tehran University. Baqer intended to enter Canada through Vancouver International Airport on October 15, 2022, just 12 days before the expiration of his permanent residency card, but was ordered deported due to not being present in Canada for at least 730 days over the past five years. He claimed that he had to spend most of his time in Iran caring for his sick mother and that if his permanent residency were revoked, he would face difficulties separating from his family. According to the ruling, the mother of the Larijani brothers has been ill since 2015, and Baqer, who lives in the upper floor of his mother's residence in Tehran, has taken on the role of her caretaker. The ruling states that the health condition of the Larijani mother has deteriorated since 2018 and she has suffered from dementia since 2021. The ruling also mentions that while Baqer claims to care for his mother, three of his brothers live in Tehran, and one brother travels between Iran and Spain. Despite Baqer's claims of caring for his mother, he has spent significant time outside Iran for his own affairs, which has not had major consequences for her, and during this time, a caregiver has looked after the Larijani mother. Another part of the ruling states that Baqer Ardeshir Larijani owns two properties in Canada and has paid income tax since becoming a permanent resident, but 'the source of income declared in his tax return is unclear.' Notably, three of the four individuals who provided letters of support for Baqer Ardeshir Larijani reside in the same apartment building where he owns a unit. According to the ruling, Baqer's 30-year-old son claimed that he would have to perform mandatory military service if he returned to Iran, which is why he cannot go back. The ruling also states that the difficulty of separation from family would be reduced if Baqer Ardeshir Larijani's wife applies for a tourist visa for her husband. He could also become a resident of Canada in the future with financial assistance to his son for establishing a business and collaborating with him. On Tuesday, July 2, the Canadian government announced that the deportation process for five other Iranians suspected of collaborating with the 'regime' had begun, although immigration officials did not disclose the names of the 'deportees.' Canadian Global News reported, citing the country's Border Services Agency, that these suspects were high-ranking officials of the 'repressive Iranian government.' The media outlet has called on the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada to hold court hearings regarding the deportation of these individuals publicly. According to this report, Canada, which listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization in June of this year, stated that these individuals are facing deportation under sanctions enacted in 2022 that prohibit thousands of senior Iranian officials, including members of the IRGC, from entering Canada. These sanctions were enacted following the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the morality police and the 'brutal repression' of peaceful protests by the Iranian government. Previously, Salman Samani, Deputy Minister of Interior under Rouhani's government, and Majid Iranmanesh, former Director General of Support and Information Technology of the Islamic Presidency, had been deported from Canada by court order. Canadian media reported in the winter of 2024 that at least nine individuals linked to the Iranian government were under review for potential deportation from Canada following the enactment of human rights sanctions against Iranian officials. It is noteworthy that on Wednesday, June 20, the Canadian government announced that it had decided to designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization under criminal regulations. The designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization by the Canadian government has been met with positive reactions from political, civil, and human rights activists and prominent figures opposing the Islamic Republic; many from Europe and Australia have called for similar actions.