Five More Officials of the Islamic Republic, Including Radan, Added to Canada's Sanctions List

The Canadian government has imposed additional sanctions against the Islamic Republic, adding the names of several Iranian officials due to their "responsibility" in enforcing "repressive and discriminatory laws and policies against women, girls, and minorities in Iran." The newly sanctioned individuals include five senior current and former political and security officials of Iran. These former officials held significant executive positions in the thirteenth government led by Ebrahim Raisi until just a few weeks ago. According to a statement from the Ottawa government on Wednesday, September 19, the names of Mohammad Mokhber, Gholamhossein Esmaili, Masoud Mir-Kazemi, Siamak Rah-Payek, and Ahmadreza Radan have been added to Canada's sanctions list. These sanctions were announced on the second anniversary of the death of Mahsa Zhina Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian girl from Saqqez, who died in the custody of the Islamic Republic's morality police during her and her family's trip to Tehran in September 2022. Mahsa's death led to widespread protests in Iran and the emergence of the movement known as "Women, Life, Freedom," which garnered significant public and official support in Canada. The U.S. also sanctioned 12 other Iranian officials in connection with the "Mahsa Law." In Ebrahim Raisi's government, where Mahsa Zhina Amini's death occurred, Mohammad Mokhber was the first vice president and temporarily assumed the presidency after Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash until the inauguration of Masoud Pezeshkian. Gholamhossein Esmaili was the head of Ebrahim Raisi's office, and Masoud Mir-Kazemi served as the vice president and head of the Iranian government's Planning and Budget Organization. Siamak Rah-Payek, who has also been sanctioned, still holds the position of deputy secretary of the Guardian Council. Ahmadreza Radan, the newly added sanctioned individual, has been a senior official in Tehran's law enforcement for over two decades and currently commands these forces. Those on Canada's sanctions list are prohibited from dealing with Canadian citizens, including Iranian-Canadians worldwide, and any transactions with these sanctioned individuals will be subject to legal prosecution. They are also barred from traveling to Canada, and any assets they hold in Canada will be seized. Australia has also sanctioned five Iranian officials involved in suppressing protesters. Canada, which has designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization and recently began expelling some government officials from its territory, has taken various measures to support protesters in the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement, extending regulations for granting work and study permits for Iranians who can reach Canada until February 2025. Thousands of Iranians, mainly educated individuals from the middle class, have reached Canada over the past two years using the right to apply for work and study permits, and they are now striving for citizenship to join the hundreds of thousands of other Iranian-origin citizens in this North American country. On the second anniversary of Mahsa Zhina Amini's death, in addition to Canada, several other Western countries such as Australia and the U.S. have emphasized their support for the fundamental rights and freedoms of protesting women and girls in Iran by expanding their sanctions against Iranian political, military, and security officials.