Investigate Iran abuses, expand sanctions
Petitioners ask Canada to lead an international probe into crimes against humanity in Iran, expand Magnitsky sanctions, and press for Narges Mohammadi’s release and stays of execution. The government responds that Canada condemns these violations.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would help document alleged crimes and gather evidence needed for future accountability processes.
- Expanding Magnitsky sanctions targets specific officials, increasing pressure on perpetrators and signalling tangible consequences.
- Diplomatic pressure for releases and stays could protect at‑risk prisoners and show concrete Canadian support for human rights defenders.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Investigations and sanctions can take years and may have limited immediate impact for victims.
- Harsher measures risk diplomatic retaliation that could reduce Canada’s ability to engage through dialogue or consular channels.
- Targeted sanctions and pressure might be less effective than coordinated multilateral strategies or direct humanitarian actions to protect detainees.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED WHEREAS: • The Iranian regime has carried out a brutal crackdown since late December 2025, resulting in thousands of deaths and tens of thousands of arbitrary arrests; • Credible reports from the UN and international NGOs have documented the systematic use of sexual violence and torture against men, women, and children in Iranian detention centers; • Political prisoners, including Narges Mohammadi and others, are being denied life-saving medical care and face imminent execution. THEREFORE, your petitioners, who are residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Lead an international effort to investigate crimes against humanity in Iran, specifically targeting the use of sexual violence as a tool of repression. 2. Expand targeted Magnitsky sanctions against specific Iranian officials and judges responsible for the torture and sentencing of activists. 3. Utilize all diplomatic channels to demand the immediate release of Narges Mohammadi and the staying of all pending execution orders for political prisoners.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Rob Oliphant The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for raising concerns regarding the serious human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, including mass killings and other grave violations carried out by Iran’s security forces in response to the protests that began on December 28, 2025. Canada strongly condemns the Iranian regime’s entrenched pattern of excessive and unlawful use of force against Iranians, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, severe restrictions on access to information, and other serious human rights violations. Canada has consistently and unequivocally condemned violence against protesters and all forms of repression of human rights in Iran, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and freedom of association. The Government of Canada routinely coordinates with international partners to raise concerns about Iran’s poor human rights record, including its default to violence as a response to dissent. In response to the protests, the Government of Canada: Led a joint statement condemning the Iranian regime’s crackdown on protests, alongside Australia and the European Union on January 9, 2026; Participated in the Group of Seven statement condemning Iran’s latest wave of brutal suppression and urging Iran to respect its human rights obligations on January 14, 2026; Cosponsored a statement by the Freedom Online Coalition on February 4, 2026, condemning the Iranian authorities’ repression of protesters, internet shutdowns, and other measures aimed at silencing dissent, and calling for respect for human rights both online and offline; Issued multiple statements unequivocally opposing the death penalty, arbitrary arrests and detentions, forced confessions, unfair trials and discrimination against ethnic and religious minorities in Iran. The Government of Canada believes that perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses must be held accountable, and that victims and their families are entitled to truth, justice, and redress. To this end, Canada works closely with international partners to pursue independent investigations and accountability through multilateral mechanisms. For the last 23 consecutive years, Canada has led a United Nations General Assembly resolution on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran, which condemns serious and ongoing violations, urges improvement, and calls on Iranian authorities to cooperate with human rights mechanisms. Canada also supports the work of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran and relevant independent investigative mechanisms, including the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are mandated to collect, preserve, and analyze evidence of human rights violations, with a view to support future accountability efforts. On March 16, 2026, Canada delivered a joint intervention with Australia and New Zealand during the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur and the Fact-Finding Mission at the United Nations Human Rights Council’s 61st session. The intervention condemned Iran’s violent response to protests, demanded accountability, and reaffirmed the need for sustained international scrutiny. Canada actively engaged in the Special Session convened by the United Nations Human Rights Council on January 23, 2026, to discuss the deterioration of human rights in Iran in light of the authorities’ brutal crackdown on protests that began on December 28, 2025. At the Special Session, Canada’s intervention decried Iran’s entrenched impunity and violent repression of legitimate and peaceful demonstrations. Canada also engaged constructively in support of the Special Session’s associated resolution, which mandated the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to specifically document and preserve evidence of Iran’s violent response to these protests to support future accountability processes. In addition to actions taken internationally, Canada continues to leverage domestic legal and policy tools to impose consequences on Iranian individuals and entities responsible for nuclear and weapons proliferation activities, gross and systemic human rights violations, and regional and global destabilizing activities. Since July 22, 2010, Canada has imposed sanctions on nearly 500 Iranian individuals and entities across all levels of Iran’s security, intelligence, and economic apparatus pursuant to theSpecial Economic Measures Actand the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law), with the majority of these measures enacted since 2022. On December 7, 2023, Canada also sanctioned two Iranian individuals under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, the Sergei Magnitsky Law, for their involvement in the tragic 2003 death of Iranian-Canadian photojournalist and human rights defender, Zahra Kazemi while in custody in Iran. Canada also imposes sanctions through the Special Economic Measures Act (Iran Regulations) on individuals who have participated in gross and systematic human rights violations in Iran. Since October 2022, Canada has used the human rights criterion to list 112 individuals and 17 entities, with particular attention to violations against women and girls. On December 12, 2025, Canada listed four individuals because of their positions as senior officials of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps or the Iranian prison system and for their participation in gross and systematic violations of the rights of protesters and prisoners in Iran, including a significant role in facilitating repressive policies and directing their implementation. Canada recognizes the critical role played by Iranian human rights defenders and other advocates in documenting human rights violations, calling for accountability, and ensuring sustained international pressure on Iran’s violations despite severe repression and censorship. Canada is a steadfast advocate for the release of human rights defenders, political prisoners, and all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their human rights and regularly underscores the importance of creating and maintaining safe and enabling environments for civic participation, online and offline. On February 13, 2026, Canada condemned the Iranian regime’s additional sentencing of human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi and called for her immediate release on X and Facebook. Canada further called for the release all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their human rights and demanded the Iranian regime to allow human rights defenders to speak without the fear of reprisal – in accordance with international human rights obligations. Canada supports efforts to counter impunity through relevant international justice mechanisms. Canada works with partners to explore all viable avenues to advance accountability, including through evidence-sharing, support for documentation initiatives, and engagement with international courts and investigative bodies, where applicable. The Government of Canada will continue to stand with the people of Iran in their calls for respect for human rights, accountability for violations, and an end to repression. Canada remains committed to working with international partners to pursue independent investigations and meaningful accountability for mass killings and other violations, and to ensure that those responsible for grave violations are held responsible.