Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  In addition to targeted sanctions, you asked whether there are parts of the judiciary that we can empower. I don't think so. I think the revolutionary courts were created as an engine for mass executions from the very beginning of the revolution, as Dr. Boroumand mentioned. The

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would emphasize, first of all, that there is a difference between collective sanctions, which hurt the average Iranian, and targeted sanctions, which go after the centres of power and influence. I realize that sanctions are often a blunt instrument, but I think we need to be lo

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  As I mentioned, Mr. Sweet, there is an inextricable relationship between the hyper-corruption that characterizes the regime and the use of extremist ideology and violence as a means of staying in power. Canada has become a destination of choice for much of this dirty money. It i

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Madam Chair and honourable committee members, thank you for the invitation. I'm sorry I can't be with you in Ottawa. I want to start with the case of my respected colleague, Nasrin Sotoudeh, because it reflects the reality of the fight for human rights in Iran, especially the im

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  If I may add to that. First of all, the Iranian judiciary is fundamentally flawed. After the revolution, qualified judges were replaced by religious jurists. There is a fundamental problem having a set of qualified judges in Iran. The second point is that the issue of narcotics

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Sadly, the persecution is ongoing and escalating. As I explained briefly in my presentation, recently there have been about 50 arrests of Baha'i in various provinces in Iran. Many Baha'i shops have been burnt down and ransacked. Baha'i children are being terrorized in school by t

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think that, in principle, any group that renounces violence as a means of change should be given a seat at the table. As Dr. Shaheed said, Iran is a very complex society. It is multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and politically complex. The point is to understand that all of those

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Well, as someone who formerly worked with the United Nations, I can say that in looking at how people look at peace negotiations, for example, there are those who are the political realists. They believe that human rights ideals are for a bunch of NGO activists and naive idealist

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I think, as Dr. Shaheed said, it's very important to understand that there is a civil society in Iran, which is an entirely different political space, and that the Canadian government should include in its restoration of diplomatic relations people-to-people diplomacy. We have i

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  If I may add to what Dr. Shaheed has said, I was speaking about the pendulum swinging from one end to the other. At one end, the pendulum is at a situation of total isolation, and the other is in a situation of unconditional re-engagement. I think the question, really, is how Can

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would think of two or three different items. Firstly, as I explained, I think Canada should, perhaps through quiet diplomacy or otherwise, demand the release of certain prisoners. The Iranian regime has been taking prisoners for a long time and using them as hostages in effect

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I will defer to Dr. Shaheed on that but my observation is that the persecution of the Baha'i religious minority is a very long-standing policy in Iran. It is very deeply held. It's almost obsessive. I don't think that the local incidents are unconnected with centralized policy an

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Let me just quickly add to what Dr. Shaheed has said. I think that we have to see the questions of improvements in a broader context of what is happening in Iran today. The Iranian political elites are under pressure both from above and below. They need to re-engage international

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you. Mr. Chair and honourable members of the committee, good afternoon. I'd like to begin by thanking you for the opportunity to appear before the committee. I'm sorry that I can't be there in Ottawa with you, in person. For more than 10 years, I have been reporting on h