[Witness spoke in Persian, interpreted as follows:]
I am Atena Daemi. Between 2014 and 2022, I was in the hospital for six years as a political prisoner in Iran.
It was because of my activities in human rights and opposition. I was sent to other prisons, and my family was in trouble due to the situation. For 54 days I was on a hunger strike, and I realized later that I developed MS. In early May, I travelled to Ottawa with the flight number PS752 families association to meet with members of Parliament, including some of you, to advocate specific actions supporting Iranian human rights activities.
Just seven months after my release, Jina Amini was killed, and I became targeted by the Revolutionary Guard for a number of months, almost eight months. My sister and I ultimately embarked on a 10-hour journey to Iraq and Kurdistan. We had the opportunity to be accepted by Canada, and for months we have been living in Newfoundland.
The human rights situation in Iran is deeply troubling. Political and civil activists face lengthy imprisonment simply for expressing their opinions and beliefs. The injustices I experienced during my own imprisonment are still prevalent among political prisoners and their families. I joined other activists in petitioning the United Nations to acknowledge the gender apartheid in Iran and Afghanistan.
The regime also discriminates against religions, ethnicities, Baha'is and LGBTQ. There have been more than 100 people executed in 2024. There are no free books or media. There are so many children in the streets working. There are billions of dollars, critical to the Iranian economy, that the Revolutionary Guard receives, and it is used.... Mostly the money was to go to countries, including countries such as Canada.
The people of Iran reject this dictatorship of the Islamic Republic, advocating instead for the realization of women's rights and the right to life and freedom, as emphasized in the renowned slogan. However, as I mentioned earlier, in 2022 alone, extensive investigation by the United Nations facility found that hundreds of protesters had been killed, with reports of deliberate shootings.
The Revolutionary Guard, as you all are aware, caused the flight....
The IRGC has cost so many people in Kurdistan. They killed three people and are getting involved in the policies of Turkey and Kurdistan. There is almost no way that you can have any justice system in Iran.
They can cause more trouble for many countries. If you don't do much in Canada regarding the Flight PS752 case.... Failure to address it in 2018 and recent reaffirmation by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization....
Additionally, I wish to highlight the trouble that exists. In Kurdistan, there are many Iranians who left the country and have gone to Turkey or Iraq, hoping to find a way to live in a safe place. In Iran, unfortunately, there is war with people every day.
Instead of providing refuge to agents of the regime who view Canada as a sanctuary, I urge Canada....
I am a victim of this judicial system of the Islamic Republic regime, having spent my formative years in prison based on a judiciary ruling. I urge you to include the revolutionary court judges of Iran. You have maybe heard about Toumaj Salehi. He protested peacefully against executions, so they have caused trouble for him.
The people of Iran possess the courage to fight for their rights. They do not expect foreign military intervention or interference in determining their fate; however, democratic nations like Canada can support Iran.