The Honourable John Baird, Minister of Foreign Affairs
The Honourable Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism

We are writing to you regarding the new sanctions placed on five Iranians who were accused of planning to assassinate the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia in Washington D.C., as well as Mr. Mahmoud Reza Khavari, whose name came up in the recent $3 billion defalcation scandal in Iran.

For the past few years human rights activists and other groups of Iranian-Canadians have expressed concern over the alarming number of immigrants to Canada who abuse the immigration procedures and move to this country with highly questionable connections to the Iranian regime and with unusual wealth, which–given the current situation in Iran–are hardly attainable via legitimate economic means. Media have reported transactions where millions of dollars have been transferred between Iran and Canada without any proper screening. Similarly, many people have taken oath of citizenship while holding a government position in Iran.

Many human rights activists have communicated with the Canadian government and their local MPs, warning the officials that Iran’s nuclear case should not overshadow the priority of attending to human rights grievances in that country. Since the contested presidential elections of 2009, Iranian-Canadian human rights activists have advised the government to place tough sanctions against those involved in human rights violations in Iran. As an example, in May 2010, the signatories of this petition submitted a letter to the then-Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Hon. Lawrence Cannon, in which they warned about the aforementioned abuses and asked the officials in Ottawa to prevent Canada from becoming a safe haven for those involved in torture, rape, and murder of the Iranian people. That letter brought attention to the fact that the current policies prioritize human rights abusers within the Iranian government over human rights activists escaping torture, and scholars with ties to the Iranian civil society. While the human rights abusers have been welcome for their ill-gotten sums of money, the latter have been denied entry for their inability to prove enough ties to Iran. In his response to May 2010 letter, The Hon. Lawrence Cannon, emphasized the commitment of the Canadian government to human rights principles and notified the signatories of his having forwarded the letter to the Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and Multi-culturalism.

Of the most pressing concern is the report that Mr. Mahmoud Reza Khavari, the former CEO of Bank Melli Iran, has fled Tehran for Toronto. In doing so he has taken advantage of his Canadian citizenship that he acquired while keeping substantial ties to the Iranian administration. He is a former top official of Bank Sepah, blacklisted by the U.N. in 2007. Mr. Khavari is believed to own various properties in Canada, including but not limited to a $3.5-million mansion in Toronto. He has reportedly acquired the ownership of eight travel agencies for his son.

The signatories of this letter are alarmed by the apparent confusion of priorities within the decision-making circles at Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. The department rapidly reacted to the news on the Iranian plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to Washington. While this reaction to such a suspect case might be justified by the trust and the good relations between Canada and its American ally, it does not stand the test of scrutiny and reason when it is compared to the department’s closing its eyes to those who committed murder, torture, and rape of the Iranian citizens. One should remember that Mr. Arbab-Siar and his possible Iranian recruiters never had the chance to conduct the alleged plot, but the evidence on the human rights abuses after the contested Iranian election is abundant and indeed confirmed by Canada’s allies in the European Union and North America. Canada did not accompany its allies in placing sanctions against human rights violators in Iran. In response to Mr. Arbab-Siar’s case, Canada has put in place restriction on individuals with alleged ties to sources of terrorism. However, many who are accused of human rights violations or with substantial ties to the Iranian government still travel freely between Iran and Canada, and within the Canadian territory as well. No limit has been placed on these individuals and their communication with Canadian citizens. Despite growing number of people connected to the regime obtaining their citizenship, many Iranian students who are struggling to get into Canada. Journalists and human rights activists, who sought asylum in Canada–especially after the 2009 presidential elections–were having great difficulty to have their request processed. Even human rights activists and artists who want to raise awareness in Canada were barred from entering the country for ‘lack of ties to Iran’ (since they escaped from Iran and live elsewhere).

In light of this situation, it is safe to conclude that Canada’s treatment of the Iran file has been at best inconsistent. It raises questions for Iranian-Canadians about Ottawa’s commitment to human rights principles in foreign affairs. These are principles upheld by other nations and widely respected in the past half-century and leave little space for desultory decisions. Canada should reaffirm its commitment to these standards of diplomacy.

Honourable Ministers:

Mr Khavari is only one example of the people living in Canada while keeping connections to the Iranian regime. We believe that there exist many more like him who take advantage of their Canadian citizenship. Many use Canada for investment, and as a safe haven for the day when the democratic movement of the Iranian people succeeds, fearing that when such a day comes they will be held accountable for their role in oppressing the Iranian people.

The signatories herein respectfully ask the Canadian government that it:

- Launch an investigation to find out how Mr. Mahmoud Reza Khavari and his family were able to attain citizenship, whether he was eligible for Canadian citizenship at the time of acquirement and the level in which he was tied to Iranian intelligence and military apparatus. As we are aware Mr. Khavari held full-time government job in Iran up until his last entry to Canada.

- Investigate similar cases of immigration of Iranian officials to Canada, their eligibility, their sources of income, the amount of money they transferred to Canada, their tax records, their financial activities and their connection to human rights abuses in Iran.

- Place a ban on travel and freeze the assets of those who were connected to human rights violations in Iran, similar to the restrictions on individuals connected to the Iranian nuclear program. Because of the presence of large numbers of such individuals in Canada, these restrictions should be similar but more extensive than those imposed by the United States and the European Union on Iranian human rights violators.

The undersigned are ready to help the Canadian government remain loyal to the principles of justice, human rights, honesty, and transparency.

Sincerely,

Students for Iranian Green Movement Association (SIGMA)-Victoria, BC
Student Green Movement of Vancouver (SGMV), Vancouver, BC
Solidarity with Iran’s Democratic Movement-Edmonton (SIDME), Edmonton, AB
Ottawa Green Path, Ottawa, ON
Regina Green Students, Regina, SK

CC: Nycole Turmel, Leader of the Official Opposition
Hon. Bob Rae, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Elizabeth May, Member of Parliament for Saanich-Gulf Islands
Don Davies, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Kingsway
Hélène Laverdière, Member of Parliament for Laurier—Sainte-Marie
Kevin Lamoureux, Member of Parliament for Winnipeg North
Hon. Dominic LeBlanc, Member of Parliament for Beauséjour
André Bellavance, Member of Parliament for Richmond—Arthabaska
Jean-François Fortin, Member of Parliament for Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia
Denise Savoie, Member of Parliament for Victoria
Randall Garrison, Member of Parliament for Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca