Canada is imposing new sanctions on Iran over the death of a young Iranian woman while in police custody, according to Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly.
In a statement shared on Twitter Monday, Joly said the measures were in response to “gross human rights violations,” mentioning in particular the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died while in the custody of Iran’s so-called morality police for reportedly wearing her hijab too loosely.
The new sanctions announced Monday target nine entities and 25 individuals, including senior Iranian officials and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Those being sanctioned include Mohammed-Hossein Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces, IRGC Commander-in-Chief Major General Hossein Salami, and Esmail Qaani, commander of the Quds Force of the IRGC.
As far as entities are concerned, Iran’s morality police and Ministry of Intelligence and Security are being sanctioned by Canada.
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Under the measures, Ottawa is effectively freezing any assets the listed individuals may hold in Canada and rendering them “inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” the government statement said.
The death of Mahsa Amini has led to widespread condemnation and protests around the world, including in Canada. The United States government imposed sanctions on Iran’s morality police last month.
Protests have also escalated in Iran since Amini’s death on Sept. 16.
Thousands have rallied in different Canadian cities in solidarity with Amini, who was detained by morality police on Sept. 13 outside a transit station in the capital, Tehran.
She was accused of breaking a modesty law that requires women to wear a headscarf, cover their arms and legs and wear loose clothing.
Police in Iran claim Amini died of a heart attack and was not mistreated, but her family has cast doubt on that account. Independent experts affiliated with the United Nations said Thursday that reports suggested she was severely beaten by the morality police, without offering evidence.
“Iran’s continued grave and ongoing breaches of international law are well known and documented, including its blatant disregard for human life,” said Joly on Twitter.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau vowed to continue holding Iran accountable.
“We’ll continue to take action, and we’ll keep standing with Iranian women and others who are fighting for their human rights,” he said on Twitter.
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