Question Period Note: IRAN SANCTIONS

• Canada has been a consistently strong voice internationally for the protection of human rights in Iran.
• Canada leads the annual UN General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution on the Situation of Human Rights in Iran, now in its twentieth year.
• On October 3, Canada imposed new sanctions against Iran, targeting 25 Iranian individuals and 9 entities for gross violations of human rights, and for Iran’s destabilizing activities at home and abroad.
• Canadian sanctions are effective. Individuals and entities listed under Canadian sanctions are subject to a dealings ban, effectively freezing their assets in Canada.
• In close consultation with likeminded allies, Canadian sanctions are helping to ensure that targeted individuals and entities have limited access to the global financial system.

Canadian Autonomous Sanctions
Canada has two separate pieces of legislation authorizing the imposition of autonomous sanctions:
1. the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA); and
2. the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (JVCFOA).

The measures included in Canadian autonomous sanctions prohibit any individual or entity in Canada and any Canadians outside of Canada from engaging in certain activities and transactions involving listed individuals and entities. This can include dealing in any property of a listed person, or providing them goods or financial services. In addition, individuals listed in response to human rights violations or acts of significant corruption are also rendered inadmissible to Canada.

While the extent and nature of specific assets held in Canada differ from case to case, the impacts of being sanctioned are still clear and significant. Listed individuals and entities are prevented from accessing Canada’s financial system and conducting business with Canadians or persons in Canada. Importantly, financial assets or physical property do not need to be seized in order to ensure that listed individuals or entities do not have access to those assets. Through the dealings ban, no Canadian – including financial institutions - may interact or deal with a sanctioned person’s property. In terms of financial assets, financial institutions block any transactions from taking place to or from accounts held by listed persons. This removes a listed person’s access to their funds and closes off Canada’s financial system to them. Wherever possible, Canada coordinates closely with likeminded allies, including the European Union, the United Kingdom and the United States, to maximize the effectiveness of sanctions. When sanctions measures are taken in concert with these and other allies, the opportunity for sanctioned individuals or entities to conduct prohibited activities is significantly reduced globally.
Canadian Measures Against Iran
On October 3, 2022, Canada imposed new sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. 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. Iran’s continued grave and ongoing breaches of international law are well known and documented, including its blatant disregard for human life.
These new measures build on the Government of Canada’s existing sanctions regime and lists 25 individuals and 9 entities. Among the individuals and entities listed are senior Iranian officials and prominent entities that directly implement repressive measures, violate human rights and spread the Iranian regime’s propaganda and misinformation.
Prior to these additional measures, Canada had imposed sanctions on a total of 41 Iranian individuals and 161 Iranian entities, including the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the regime’s security, intelligence and economic apparatus.
In 2012, Canada designated the state of Iran as a supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act. In concert with the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, this listing 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.

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