Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Canada could consider using the legislation to impose asset freezes and travel bans on Turkish officials and their accomplices for unjust detention of, and incitement against, religious minorities. On behalf of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, I thank you again for inviting me to testify before this distinguished committee.

Finance committee  Chair, and all the members of the committee, for inviting me here today to contribute my comments on the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act. I'm a lawyer by training and the director of policy for Canada at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which is a Washington, D.C, based think tank devoted to national security and foreign policy. I also work closely with the Canadian Coalition Against Terror, a non-profit organization comprising Canadians terror victims, counterterrorism professionals, lawyers, and others dedicated to combatting terrorism and assisting terror victims in rebuilding their lives.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you very much. Chairman Levitt, distinguished members of the committee, thank you for inviting me to testify. It's a really great honour to be testifying with Payam, whose courageous work I greatly admire. I applaud the committee for holding Iran to account for its poor human rights record especially at a time when the world seems obsessed with Iran's nuclear agreement and the happenings in Washington.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  By video conference from London, we have Professor Payam Akhavan, co-founder of the Iran Human Rights Documentation Center, and, in person, Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Professor Akhavan, if you begin with your opening remarks, we'll then move to Mr. Dubowitz, and then proceed straight to questions from the members. Please go ahead.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  By video conference from Washington, we have Aykan Erdemir, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and from Memorial University in St. John's, Professor Mehmet Efe Caman. Dr. Erdemir, you may begin with your opening remarks, and then we'll move to Dr. Caman before proceeding to questions by members.

Finance committee  Thank you, Mr. MacDonald. The Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Ms. Saperia.

Finance committee  In reality, the use of Bitcoin for illicit activities is minimal. A recent study by the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Sanctions and Illicit Finance states that “less than one percent” of transactions in the Bitcoin network are linked to illicit activities. At the recent hearings of Bill S.1241 at the U.S.

Citizenship Act  That would have been an opportunity to prove me wrong. A witness from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Sheryl Saperia, said, I would just add, though, that language is the key to success in a new country, so I would never want to impose unduly high standards, but you do want to encourage new citizens to learn so they can succeed and make the best possible life here.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Good morning, distinguished members of the committee. On behalf of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a think tank focused on national security and foreign policy, thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. My comments will focus exclusively on the provisions in the Citizenship Act that revoke citizenship for treason, terrorism, and armed conflict against Canada, which Bill C-6 seeks to repeal.

Citizenship Act  Other experts in the field have similar views. Ms. Sheryl Saperia, director of policy for Canada for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies does not believe the provision should be repealed. In committee testimony, she stated that in cases where the crime is not just a crime under the Canadian Criminal Code but a crime against Canada as a national entity, by virtue of a person's actions, this might forfeit the right to Canadian citizenship.

Citizenship and Immigration committee  Thank you. Ms. Sheryl Saperia, director of policy for Canada, Foundation for Defense of Democracies. You have seven minutes, please.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I call to order the Subcommittee on International Human Rights of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. We have with us in the room today Mark Dubowitz from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Welcome, Mr. Dubowitz. As well by video conference from Washington, D.C., is Mark Lagon from Freedom House and Ali Alfoneh from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.

Iran Accountability Week  Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Iran; Iranian Canadian journalist, filmmaker and former political prisoner Maziar Bahari; and experts, some of whom testified today before our foreign affairs subcommittee, such as Mark P. Lagon, president of Freedom House, and the leaders of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Mark Dubowitz and Ali Alfoneh. This year's Iran Accountability Week and our take note debate this evening may be said to occur at a most propitious if not precarious moment, as there are the P5+1 nuclear negotiations with Iran, which we hope might yet conclude in an effective agreement to prevent a nuclear Iran.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you, Chairman Reid. Just in terms of a time check, Chairman Reid, how long would you like my testimony to go, just to give members an opportunity?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you very much, sir. Thank you for your kind invitation and providing me with the opportunity to share with the committee my analysis of human rights developments in Iran. Almost two years into the presidency of Dr. Rouhani, and almost two years after the beginning of the latest round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the west, the human rights situation is unfortunately deteriorating in Iran.