By NCRIUS Staff – June 19, 2024
Canada has officially designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code, effective immediately. This announcement was made by the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, marking a significant step in Canada’s ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and support global security.
Mrs. Madam Rajavi, president-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), applauded Canada’s designation of the IRGC as a terrorist entity, calling it a commendable step and congratulating the parliament and government of Canada. She noted that the Iranian Resistance has been advocating for this designation for years, emphasizing that it is essential in response to four decades of suppression, terrorism, and warmongering by the regime. She highlighted that the people of Iran, along with majorities in 28 parliaments worldwide, demand that the regime’s leaders be held accountable for executions, massacre, genocide, crimes against humanity, the suppression of women, and the oppression of national minorities in Iran.
The IRGC, established in 1979 by Supreme Leader Khomeini, was created to protect Iran’s fundamentalist regime and prevent internal dissent. Over the decades, the IRGC has facilitated and executed severe domestic repression and international terrorism. The Quds Force, an elite unit responsible for extraterritorial operations, has played a critical role in expanding the IRGC’s terrorist agenda in the Middle East and beyond, targeting dissidents and supporting militant groups in the region.
As a direct consequence of this listing, Canadian financial institutions are now required to freeze the assets of the IRGC. It is a criminal offense for anyone in Canada or Canadians abroad to knowingly engage in transactions involving property owned or controlled by the IRGC. This measure is intended to disrupt the IRGC’s financial networks and hinder its ability to support terrorist activities.
In November 2022, Canada designated the Iranian regime as a regime engaged in terrorism and gross human rights violations. This designation rendered thousands of senior Iranian officials, including top IRGC members, inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. These officials are banned from entering Canada and may be investigated and removed if already present in the country.
Minister LeBlanc emphasized, “The Iranian regime has consistently displayed a complete disregard for human rights and a willingness to destabilize the international order,” said LeBlanc.
The IRGC has already been designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. This terror entity and some of its top commanders are also listed on other U.S. blacklists for their direct role in the systemic and barbaric suppression of pro-democracy protesters in Iran as well as in Tehran’s destabilizing warmongering and nuclear and missile development programs.