Good morning, colleagues.
I verify that there is a quorum present to call to order this meeting of the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.
This morning, we will hear from witnesses who are experts on human rights in Iran. I will be making some changes to the agenda. Professor Payam Akahavan will go first, between 11:00 a.m. and noon, but I would like to hear all of the witnesses, after which members will then be able to question the entire panel at the same time.
In preparing its work plan, the committee indicated that it wanted to hear testimony on human rights in Iran. Then, Mr. Cotler moved a motion relating to the complicity of the Iran regime
to incite genocide, and that is on the table.
You can choose to pose questions about the issue to members of the panel, but I believe most of them are gearing their comments to the general human rights situation in Iran.
We're very honoured to have three leading human rights activists, and in particular experts on the situation in Iran.
We'll begin first with Professor Payam Akhavan. He is a professor at the Faculty of Law of McGill University, a chairman of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, a former United Nations war crimes investigator, and he is widely published on these issues.
Professor Akhavan.