Canada Lists IRGC as a Terrorist Organization

The Canadian news network "CBC" reported, citing informed sources, that after years of efforts by Iranian-Canadian activists and increasing political pressure, Canada has finally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization under Canadian criminal law. Dominic LeBlanc, Canada's Minister of Public Safety, announced on Wednesday, June 30, that the Canadian government has decided to classify the IRGC as a terrorist organization "under criminal regulations." He accused the Islamic Republic of Iran of "supporting terrorism," violating human rights "inside and outside Iran," and having a "tendency to destabilize the international rules-based order." This Canadian official added, "Canada will use all possible tools to counter the terrorist actions of the IRGC." Dominic LeBlanc also stated that the designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization is based on "very strong and convincing evidence." At the same time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote in a brief message on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is now listed as a terrorist group in Canada." When a group is placed on Canada's terrorism list, the police can take action against any individual or entity that financially or materially supports this group. Banks will also be able to freeze their assets. According to CBC, this announcement comes as the victims' association of flight PS752, members of the Iranian-Canadian community, and the Conservative and NDP parties have been working for years to have the IRGC listed as a terrorist organization in Canada. Last month, Canadian parliamentarians unanimously approved this action and urged the Liberal government led by Justin Trudeau to declare the IRGC as "terrorist." The IRGC is a branch of the Iranian armed forces that directly answers to Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic. The IRGC's missiles shot down flight PS752 of Ukraine International Airlines over Tehran about four years ago, killing 175 passengers, including 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents of Canada. Following the IRGC's missile strike on this aircraft, the victims' families have long urged the Canadian government to designate this organization as a terrorist group. The United States officially added the IRGC to its list of terrorist organizations in 2019. Prior to that, the U.S. Treasury Department had listed the IRGC as a terrorist group in 2017. Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have also included the IRGC in their lists of terrorist organizations since October 2018. While EU diplomats are hesitant about placing the IRGC on the list of terrorist organizations, members of the European Parliament recently voted in favor of adding the IRGC to the terrorist list. Listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization by Western countries is the main demand of the opponents of the Islamic Republic, especially following the nationwide protests in Iran in 2022, known as the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement. This news will be updated. This report uses information from CBC News and Voice of America. The PS752 victims' families emphasize their commitment to seeking truth and justice. The U.S. has sanctioned several individuals and companies for "aiding the Houthis, Hezbollah, and the IRGC." New EU sanctions against 9 individuals and entities; the commander of the Quds Force and the Minister of Defense have been sanctioned. Two U.S. officials: Washington supports the designation of the IRGC as a "terrorist organization worldwide." The request from the families of the PS752 victims is under review by the Supreme Court of Canada; Ardeshir Zarehzadeh: We will pursue the case in other countries. The UK Committee for the Freedom of Iran: Hundreds of lawmakers have called for the IRGC to be recognized as a terrorist organization. The decision of several European countries to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization is based on a court ruling in Germany.