Canada Slaps Sanctions On Iranian Officials, Entities Over Protests

Canada has slapped sanctions on 34 Iranian officials and entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and morality police, over the crackdown on current protests.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly announced the list of sanctions on Monday, about a week after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised measures against the government. 

The list includes 25 individuals such as Mohammed-Hossein Bagheri, Major General in the Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) and the Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces; Major General Hossein Salami, IRGC Commander-in-Chief; Esmail Qaani, Commander of the IRGC’s Quds Force; as well as on IRGC’s Cyber Defense Command; Evin Prison -- which houses political prisoners – and Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib.

"These sanctions are in response to gross human rights violations that have been committed in Iran, including its systematic persecution of women and in particular, the egregious actions committed by Iran's so-called 'Morality Police,' which led to the death of Mahsa Amini while under their custody," a government news release said.

Joly tweeted later in the day that “Iran’s continued grave and ongoing breaches of international law are well known and documented, including its blatant disregard for human life.”

Canada had earlier imposed sanctions on a total of 41 Iranian individuals and 161 Iranian entities before today’s list. 

In 2012, Canada designated Iran as a state supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act, which allows victims to bring civil action against Iran for losses or damages from an act of terrorism with links to Iran committed anywhere in the world.