Ottawa, 28 February 2023 (TDI): The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Melanie Joly announced additional sanctions on 12 senior officials from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.
So far, this is the ninth package of sanctions imposed by Canada against the Iranian regime since October 2022.
The Sanction list included 12 officials of IRGC and Iranian Law Enforcement Forces who have participated in gross and systematic human rights violations in Iran, including through the lethal suppression of demonstrations across Kurdish areas of Western Iran.
In an issued statement, it is also added that the list of sanctioned officials included but was not limited to Morteza Mir Aghaei, Commander of the IRGC’s Basij paramilitary forces, Governor of Kurdistan province Esmaeil Zarei Kousha, IRGC General Seyeh Sadegh Hosseini, and Commander of the Law Enforcement Forces Rahim Jahanbakhsh.
The IRGC and Iranian Security Forces are accused of the murder and arrest of hundreds of protestors since the protest erupted in Iran after the death of Mehsa Amini in September 2022.
Since the protests, several Iranian officials and institutions have been sanctioned by the United States, Canada, and European Union so far.
Also read: US joins UK & EU to impose sanctions on IRGC
As of today, Canada has imposed sanctions on 139 Iranian individuals and 189 Iranian entities, including the IRGC and the regime’s security intelligence and economic apparatus.
Minister Melanie Joly also responded while issuing a statement, “The Iranian regime continues to brutally oppress its people and to deny them their fundamental rights and freedoms.
We hear the pleas of the Iranian people and we commend them for their bravery and resilience. Canada will not stop advocating for Iranians and their human rights.”
Earlier this month, the European Union (EU) imposed asset freezes and visa bans on Iran’s Ministers of education and culture, along with 30 other Iranian lawmakers, judiciary authorities, and prison authorities.
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