Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Iran does not recognize dual citizenship. I am a Canadian and an Iranian. As soon as I set foot on Iranian soil, I am no longer a Canadian. That is why Ms. Kazemi was considered under Iranian law to be an Iranian citizen, not a Canadian. I'm very happy that you asked that question because it illustrates what I have been trying to say, namely that power is not in the hands of any one person, but rather is shared.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  That is an excellent question. The country's institutions are indeed vulnerable. Remember that it took Canada several decades, if not several centuries perhaps to forge the kind of institution that is reflected here in this room. Things were different initially. The same can be said for France, the United States and all other countries.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you for the question. When I talk about dialogue, obviously dialogue should have a framework, not just for the sake of talking to Iranians, but to establish a framework where you are looking for something and they are looking for something in order to advance the cause.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I thank you very much for your questions. Obviously, we really have to denounce violence, whatever the source. So on the question of beheading and the other things that you made reference to in Saudi Arabia, they are not acceptable. Also not acceptable, for example, is the stoning of some people in Iran.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  You are quite right to point out the contradictions that exist in Iran. When the terrorist attacks against the United States took place, the Iranians were the only ones in the entire Middle East region to protest and speak out against the attacks on the American people. First of all, it means that the people and the country's leadership want two different things.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you, Madam. The power structure in Iran is extremely complex and I believe there is no other like it in the world. Briefly, within this structure, some officials are elected, while others are not. Elected officials share some powers, while unelected officials hold most of the power.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  If you watch the debates, you will see that there are four candidates. The other three are critical of Ahmadinejad' foreign policy. They argue that Iran must not behave in this manner on the word stage. They denounce the extreme language used by Ahmadinejad. They repeatedly maintain that Iran is not seeking to become a nuclear power.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry to be late. I came from Kingston earlier, so I was wandering in the central building. My presentation is going to be in French, but I would be more than willing to entertain any questions in English. I'm going to concentrate, basically, on the issue that I'm asked to do, human rights in Iran.