Canada has permanently banned half the membership of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from ever entering Canada, as protests sweep the nation following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.
Amini died last month while in the custody of Iran’s so-called morality police for reportedly wearing her hijab too loosely. “We will be pursuing a listing of the Iranian regime, including the IRGC leadership, under the most powerful provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, speaking to reporters on Friday. “The designation of a regime is a permanent decision.
This means that more than 10,000 members of the IRGC leadership, for example, will be inadmissible to Canada forever.” Read more: Nika Shahkarami — How a slain 16-year-old became a figurehead of the Iran protests Trudeau said this designation under IRPA has only been used in “the most serious circumstances,” such as when regimes have committed war crimes or genocide.
The designation will apply to the top 50 per cent of IRGC leadership, Trudeau said, which is about 10,000 officers and senior members of the organization.