Seven Iranian Revolutionary Court Judges Sanctioned

Summary#

The final rule titled Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations: SOR/2023-127 adds seven people to Canada’s Iran sanctions list. The amendments took effect on the day they were registered (June 16, 2023) and were published in the Canada Gazette on July 5, 2023.

What it does#

• Adds seven individuals to Part 2.1 of Schedule 1 to the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.
• Places the newly listed people under a broad ban on dealings. That means Canadians and Canada-based entities must not:
  • deal in their property,
  • enter into transactions with them,
  • provide them with services, or
  • make goods available to them.
• The names will be added to the Consolidated Canadian Autonomous Sanctions List so banks and others can check who is listed.
• Enforcement is handled by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency. Penalties can include a fine of up to $25,000, or up to 1 year in prison on summary conviction, or up to 5 years if prosecuted on indictment.

Who's affected#

• The seven named individuals (all judges in Iran’s Revolutionary Courts):
  • Morteza Barati
  • Hadi Mansouri
  • Musa Asif Al Hosseini
  • Seyed Mahmoud Sadati
  • Mehrdad Tahamtan
  • Mohammad Moghiseh
  • Heidar Asiyabi
• Canadians, Canadian businesses, and Canadian organizations that might have any financial or commercial dealings with those individuals.
• Financial institutions, which must update screening systems to block transactions involving these people.
• It is unlikely to affect most small businesses, since Canada already has broad Iran sanctions and trade with Iran is very limited.

Why it matters#

• The change is a targeted response to alleged human rights abuses in Iran. The government says these judges have overseen unfair trials and harsh punishments.
• For ordinary Canadians, the practical effect is mostly on banks and businesses: they must ensure they do not deal with these listed people.
• For people tracking Canada’s foreign policy, it shows Canada is using targeted sanctions to pressure Iran and to align with allied countries.