Reactions to Ghazizadeh's Presence in Montreal; Ismailioon Calls for Accountability from Canadian Officials

The release of a video attributed to Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi, the Minister of Health of the Islamic Republic during Hassan Rouhani's presidency, has made headlines on social media in Quebec, Canada. Concurrently with the sanctioning of seven individuals affiliated with the Islamic Republic by the Canadian government, images of Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi walking with his family in the streets of Montreal were shared on social media. Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi is an ophthalmologist and a professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, who was introduced as Minister of Health, Treatment, and Medical Education in Rouhani's first government in 2013. He resigned from this position in January 2019 during Rouhani's second term. The image attributed to his presence in Montreal was seen in a tourism-related video program from Radio Canada. This news has faced widespread reactions on social media. The Telegram channel "Mamlakateh," which follows human rights news and reports related to Iran, quoted one of its followers stating that they saw Ghazizadeh Hashemi and his wife in Montreal enjoying themselves while watching Radio Canada on YouTube. Hamed Ismailioon, a member of the PS752 Flight Association, tweeted in English referencing reports of "one of Rouhani's ministers walking freely" in Montreal last weekend, addressing Canada's Ministers of Immigration and Public Safety, demanding accountability, stating: "According to the IRPA travel ban, they are not allowed to step on Canadian soil." He emphasized that "we need answers and action now." Additionally, Mehrzad Zarei, the father of Arad, another victim of the IRGC missile attack on the Ukrainian passenger plane, questioned "Prime Minister Trudeau's promises" in a tweet, stating that "another member of the regime is in Canada" and if "the IRGC as a whole had been listed as a terrorist organization, not only would the offspring of the regime be expelled, but no official from the criminal regime of the Islamic Republic would dare to come to Canada." Some users also recalled statements made by the former Minister of Health of the Islamic Republic, who, in response to a baker complaining about medical and physiotherapy costs, had said, "You rub it yourself!" Several media outlets inside Iran have also reported on Ghazizadeh Hashemi's presence in Canada. For instance, the Jam-e Jam newspaper tweeted that "Canada has always been attractive for officials" and "images have surfaced showing the proponent of 'rub it yourself' in Montreal, Canada." In February 2022, a short video of Morteza Talai, who was on a treadmill at a gym in Richmond Hill, Ontario, sparked reactions. Eight human rights organizations issued a statement criticizing the presence of this former senior official of the Islamic Republic's police in Canada, addressing the Prime Minister of Canada, stating that the country should not be a haven for human rights violators. Following the approval of the "Mahsa Law" in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, the committee's chair, stated that "the Iranian regime is accused of brutal human rights violations against the people of this country" and the U.S. Congress is "committed to holding this regime accountable for these crimes." According to the "Mahsa Law," the U.S. President must determine within 90 days of approval and then annually whether individuals or entities meet the criteria for sanctions, and if they do not, provide necessary explanations.