Canada is officially making a stand on the ongoing revolutionary protests in Iran after the federal government announced imposing bans and sanctions on the regime to hold it accountable “for its egregious actions.”
“The Iranian regime continues to demonstrate its blatant disregard for human rights and human life. Canada unequivocally stands in solidarity with people marching in the streets of Iran, and the streets of cities around the world, in the name of freedom and justice,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.
Trudeau added that the government will use “the most powerful tools…to crack down on this brutal regime and the individuals responsible for its heinous behaviour.”
The list of further actions include denying access to Canadian territory for the Iran regime, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, as well as expanding current sanctions.
The Trudeau government also said it plans to invest $76 million “to strengthen Canada’s capacity to implement sanctions and ensure we can move more quickly to freeze and seize sanctioned individuals’ assets.”
“The actions we are taking today to hold senior members of the IRGC to account will ensure that Canada will never be a haven for its money, for its leaders, or for their henchmen. Canada is proud to stand with the brave people of Iran,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland.
Canada announced the latest moves on the heels of commemorating the 1,000th day since Iran’s alleged downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752, killing 176 innocent people on board – including 55 Canadians.
Police backs protests; State TV gets hacked
As the Iran protests enter its 23rd day, the local riot police has been seen marching with the protesters in what would be a landmark development in the demonstrations.
The move is particularly noteworthy after the Iranian authorities seemed to be downplaying the casualties that have resulted from the law enforcement’s crackdown on the protests.
Iran’s main news channel was momentarily hacked and disrupted on Saturday with visuals and words in favour of the ongoing protests. Images of demonstrators who perished were replaced with footage of the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, meeting with state officials.
During the interruption, an image of Khamenei in crosshairs and flames was also shown, for which the hacktivist organization Edalat-e Ali claimed responsibility. The images came with the message “join us and rise up.”
Iran is facing a wave of unrest that was sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Amini, 22, was arrested on September 13 for her “unsuitable attire”–showing her hair by not wearing a hijab–by the country’s morality police. She died three days later after falling into a coma.
Since then, demonstrators have took to the streets, causing the country’s biggest protests since 2019. In a number of online videos covering the unrest, many Iranians have been calling for “death to (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei” and pushing for ending decades of dictatorship.
Information for this briefing was found via The Guardian and the sources mentioned. The author has no securities or affiliations related to this organization. Not a recommendation to buy or sell. Always do additional research and consult a professional before purchasing a security. The author holds no licenses.
