QUESTION PERIOD — Foreign Affairs
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps
February 7, 2023
Welcome to the Senate, Senator Gold. In Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has for months been functioning as the strong arm of a regime that imprisons and executes its political opponents. For years, this group has been destabilizing the entire Middle East with its terrorist activities. The United States designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group long ago, but Canada is waffling over what would be a strong signal to an Iranian regime that systematically violates its citizens’ rights. Why not take action on this very issue by designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group?
I thank the honourable senator for her question. As I’ve said a number of times here, the government holds the Iranian regime accountable and, as I said, has imposed a broad range of very strong sanctions. Any decision to designate a particular group must take into account the advice of several national security entities. The government is considering the matter, but for the time being, it feels that the current sanctions against many individuals and a number of entities are appropriate. However, as I said to my colleague, Senator Omidvar, the matter is under review.
Even though you’re still considering the matter, Canada claimed in the past that it was reluctant to impose this designation because it was worried about penalizing conscripts. However, according to security expert Michel Juneau-Katsuya, that argument doesn’t hold water because rank-and-file fighters are not the ones who would be affected. It would be the highest ranking officers who have assets and who could engage in interference in Canada or try to cross our borders. I would remind you that there are already 73 other groups on the list of terrorist organizations and that many of them are not very well known or not very active. Isn’t it time to add the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to that blacklist?
Thank you for the question. As I just tried to explain, this decision must be made based on the counsel and advice of our national security agencies. To date, that isn’t what our experts have recommended that we do. Thank you.
