Foreign Affairs committee  I would recommend officially listing the IRGC as a terrorist group. That's really what's being asked for as a priority, today. We absolutely must demand an end to the death penalty, not just for the Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi, who is sentenced to death. We must demand the release of all artists, militants, activists, intellectuals and journalists in Iranian prisons.

Foreign Affairs committee  I can tell you, in any case, that this choice has been openly criticized by the Iranian population and by people all over the world. Obviously, no one expects this kind of country to be part of the council. It really is the height of paradox. Indeed, it's quite astonishing, in every respect.

Foreign Affairs committee  We can expect the same high abstention rate. Iranians also sometimes have this opportunity to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with this regime and show that they no longer consider it legitimate or, above all, representative. It is therefore possible that Iranians will not go to the polls.

Foreign Affairs committee  As we've seen in all the presidential elections, there may not be any real change. It remains a clan, a fairly closed political class. A distinction is made between reformers, conservatives and ultraconservatives, but in the end, none of these trends challenge the system or the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you for your question. Ms. Nazanin Afshin‑Jam highlighted the fact that today, collectives, associations and the Iranian diaspora are starting to compile data accompanied by photos and identification elements. The Canadian government also has the means to first identify these people on Canadian territory.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair. Can everyone hear me well?

Foreign Affairs committee  Mr. Chair, honourable members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for this opportunity to speak on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, in Iran and the current situation in Iran. It's crucial to distinguish legitimacy from legality when addressing the question of power in Iran.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The impact is huge. There are two schools of thought. Some say that censorship can stimulate creativity, because it forces people to find a way of circumventing it. As we know, this is state censorship that clamps down in particular on the distribution of artistic creations. What is most egregious in the case of Iran, and what can have medium and long-term repercussions, is the self-censorship of artists, journalists, thinkers and intellectuals.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Yes, absolutely. A lot of intimidation and threats have been reported. One of the ways the Islamic Republic of Iran operates is to get to you individually, but also those around you. When these many artists are arrested, they are given a pen and paper and asked for names. Take the case of the cartoonist and illustrator Mana Neyestani.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I would just like to add to the debate that vocabulary is an issue that arises among all Iran observers. I suggest that the subcommittee look into that, since you're asking questions along those lines. The idea would be to focus on terms such as “femicide” and “infanticide”. Others have used the word “genocide”, but what is the primary definition of “genocide”?

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  You're right, Iranians are very divided politically. There are different groups, different leanings, but that's legitimate given the number of Iranians and the size of the Iranian diaspora. Not everyone agrees. What is interesting to mention about the Iranian diaspora, whether in Europe or North America, is that there are commonalities.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  I'd be happy to do that.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Following the death of the Iranian president, we will need to monitor the way the elections are organized. As you know, the Iranian constitution provides that in the event of the death of the president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the vice-president becomes the acting president for up to 50 days.

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  Okay. I would like to tell you about Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human rights lawyer whose case is particularly poignant. In 2019, she was sentenced to 38 years in prison and 148 lashes for her human rights work against discriminatory laws forcing women to wear the hijab. In 2012, she received the Sakharov Prize from the European Parliament [Technical difficulty—Editor].

Subcommittee on International Human Rights committee  The death of Mahsa Zhina Amini in September 2022 after she was arrested by the morality police sparked a massive protest movement called Woman, Life, Freedom, which has been brutally repressed. In addition to the arrests—