European Eye on Radicalization
Last week, Canada imposed a third round of sanctions on the Iranian government for “gross human rights violations” as part of Tehran’s crackdown on the months-long protest movement.
There have been serious, frequent protests in Iran since June 2022. The triggers for the protests were initially economic issues, though there was always a significant political element—the Islamic Republic was held responsible for the dire economic circumstances. Since Iran’s morality police killed 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in mid-September, the focus of the protests has shifted entirely to the political. The demands are no longer that reforms be made to improve the economic situation. The demand now is that the mullahs’ regime be overthrown: a popular chant is, “Death to the Dictator”, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, and sometimes Iranians directly chant, “Death to Khamenei”.
Ms. Amini’s death is only the most prominent symbol of the ruthless attacks by the Iranian regime on civilians engaged in what looks like a nascent revolution. The Islamist security apparatus under the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), specifically its domestic volunteer wing known as the Basij, has used live fire on demonstrators, “disappeared” protesters identified by surveillance, and used torture and rape routinely against prisoners.
The IRGC has also overseen actions like the fire at Evin Prison on October 15: what was reported by the regime as a riot and attempted jailbreak was in reality a way of murdering prisoners, either those who could create problems for the mullahs in a revolutionary situation or just in revenge for their opposition to the wilayat al-faqih system.
It is in reaction to this behaviour that the Canadian government announced its new round of sanctions on 19 October, which “list[s] six individuals and four entities that are among the worst offenders that have participated in or enabled gross human rights violations, including against Iranian women, and disseminated propaganda to justify the Iranian regime’s repression and persecution of its citizens”:
This list includes, but is not limited to:
- the Guardian Council, an entity that blocks meaningful participation in Iran’s elections by disqualifying candidates who do not align with the regime’s ideology and upholds laws that systematically violate the human rights of Iranians;
- the Assembly of Experts, an entity implicated in gross and systematic violations of human rights for its neglect in upholding constitutional provisions such as Article 38, which forbids torture;
- the Expediency Discernment Council, an entity comprised of senior regime officials who advise Iran’s Supreme Leader in all policy areas and in mediating legislative disputes between Iran’s Parliament and Guardian Council. It also upholds laws that systematically violate the human rights of Iranians;
- Seyyed Majid Mirahmadi, Deputy Interior Minister;
- Mohammad Karami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Operational Base in Sistan and Baluchistan; and
- Ezzatollah Zarghami, former head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting Corporation.
These measures prohibit dealings with the listed individuals and entities, effectively freezing any assets they may hold in Canada. Individuals listed in response to gross and systematic violations of human rights are also rendered inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
By sanctioning the executive institutions and senior officials of the Islamic Republic, Canada has in effect designated Iran’s regime as a criminal one. Likewise, given the pervasive power of the IRGC within the regime, this has effectively been the U.S.’s position since the designation of the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) in April 2019, during President Donald Trump’s administration. (President Joe Biden reviewed this and decided to maintain the designation in May 2022.)
The Islamic Republic came to power in February 1979 and by the end of that year had demonstrated its threat to international peace and security. In November 1979, “students” seized the U.S. Embassy, which they would hold for more than a year, and the next month a nephew of the deposed Shah was murdered in France. This criminal statecraft would never stop.
Less than ten days ago, the head of the IRGC threatened Saudi Arabia because he did not like content on its media channels, an outrageous interference in the internal affairs of another state—but entirely routine conduct from the Iranian regime.
Canada’s move towards recognising Iran’s regime as a criminal outlaw would be most welcome in any circumstances, but it is especially so in the context of Iranians within Iran and émigrés around the world stripping away the legitimacy of the Islamic Republic and trying to undo the mistake they made forty years ago. These brave people deserve international solidarity, not only as a matter of human decency but because it is in the interests of all who want to promote moderation and stability in the international state system that they prevail. Canada has provided a roadmap for how that can be done that others should emulate.
