Activists Meet Canadian MPs to Address Iran Issue

Iran International Newsroom
A group of Iranian activists in Canada during a meeting on Iran's threats
A group of Iranian activists in Canada during a meeting on Iran's threats

Canadian MPs met with a delegation of Iranian civil activists at the Canadian parliament on Monday to address the needs of the Iranian diaspora.

Over the course of two days, approximately 25 activists will engage in around 40 separate meetings with the agenda including pressing for assistance for asylum seekers as Iranians continue to flee the oppressive conditions in Iran. Currently, around a quarter of a million Iranians reside in Canada.

The forums will also address the needs of the Association of Families of the Ukrainian Flight PS752 who have still seen no justice for the loss of the 176 lives, including 82 Iranians and 63 Canadians, when the Iranian Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) shot down the plane shortly after it took off near the Imam Khomeini International Airport in January 2020.

The two-day meeting with parliamentarians will also demand the proscription of the IRGC and continue the push of the ongoing investigation into Iran's interference in Canada. In September, Canada launched a public inquiry into the interference of foreign governments, including Iran, in the country’s federal electoral processes and democratic institutions.

While Canada has sanctioned many Iranians and state-affiliated entities, the lobbying group wants to see more sanctions against the Islamic Revolutionary Courts and other judiciary officials for the continued rights abuses being committed against dissidents in Iran, a move sparked by the recent death sentence of rapper Toomaj Salehi.

The meetings with members of the Canadian Senate and House of Commons have been organized by the Iranian Justice Collective in collaboration with other civil bodies and independent activists.