Evidence of meeting #38 for Subcommittee on International Human Rights in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hurriya.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Wesley Martin  Colonel (retired), Military Police, United States Army, As an Individual

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Scott Reid

Mr. Cotler has a motion on an unrelated topic. Mr. Cotler, would you like to go ahead, please?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I believe that all members have a copy of this motion. The motion really is a reflection of the witness testimony before us and the take note debate that we had yesterday evening, which you, Mr. Chairman, and others on this committee participated in.

Basically, it summarizes the witness testimony on the matter of the human rights violations in Iran. Then it calls for, among other things, the dropping of all charges in the cases of two political prisoners in Iran who have a Canadian connection, Saeed Malekpour and Hamid Ghassemi-Shall.

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Scott Reid

Is there any commentary on this?

2 p.m.

Conservative

David Sweet Conservative Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON

Mr. Chair, there's one small addition we spoke about during the meeting. In the second to last paragraph, in the sentence that says “and who should be allowed to return to Canada”, I would like to add the words “on humanitarian grounds”.

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Scott Reid

Let's see if that's a friendly amendment.

Is that acceptable, Professor Cotler?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Irwin Cotler Liberal Mount Royal, QC

That's acceptable.

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Scott Reid

Okay. It's a friendly amendment. That's now how it will read.

(Motion agreed to [See Minutes of Proceedings])

2 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Scott Reid

I think it was passed unanimously; we're not very demonstrative about these things sometimes.

I appreciate that and all of the members who were here.

The meeting is adjourned.