--which, along with terrorism, are considered among the most serious violations of international law.
I know that you're all familiar with the case of Zahra Kazemi, a Canadian citizen who went to Iran in 2003 with a permit to take photos. She died of the extreme torture to which she was subjected after having been imprisoned. In the seven years since her death, no one has been held accountable.
There are other examples of Canadians being brutally tortured and killed in other countries and their families being left with no opportunity to seek some form of redress. They cannot get justice in the country where the crimes were committed, and they cannot seek justice in Canada. In fact, as has happened in the case being brought by Zahra Kazemi's only child, Stephan, the Government of Canada ends up on the wrong side of the courtroom, with those responsible for torturing a Canadian citizen arguing against justice because of the State Immunity Act.
In the hierarchy of international law, the prohibition against torture is at the top. It is the international equivalent of a constitutional norm. It binds all nations, and as a result, torture is not an act for which Canada should be providing immunity.