Political sponsorship for Iranian prisoners

AI summary

Petitioners ask Parliament to endorse MP sponsorship and a coordinated, transparent framework to protect Iranians at risk of execution. The government responds that Canada opposes the death penalty and uses diplomacy, sanctions and UN mechanisms.

AI summaries describe petitioners’ requests and claims. Consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the House of Commons The Islamic Republic of Iran is carrying out executions following unfair trials, including against political prisoners, protesters, and individuals detained for exercising fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and belief; Many detainees face imminent risk of execution after judicial proceedings that fail to meet international standards of due process, transparency, and access to independent legal representation; Political sponsorship by elected officials is an established international human rights advocacy tool that increases visibility, accountability, and protection for individuals at risk of execution or severe human rights violations; Canada has a longstanding commitment to opposing the death penalty and defending human rights worldwide; We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the House of Commons to 1.Formally support and encourage political sponsorship by Members of Parliament for individuals imprisoned in Iran who face execution or risk of execution; 2.Urge the Government of Canada to publicly recognize and back political sponsorship efforts as a means of protecting political prisoners; 3.Establish or support a formal, transparent framework to facilitate and coordinate political sponsorship of individuals facing execution or severe human rights violations abroad; 4.Take immediate diplomatic and international action to pressure the Islamic Republic of Iran to halt executions and release political prisoners.

Government response

Response by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Signed by Parliamentary Secretary Rob Oliphant The Government of Canada thanks the petitioners for raising concerns regarding grave and systemic repression, widespread human rights violations, arbitrary detentions, and the Islamic Republic of Iran’s use of executions as a political tool to instil fear and shutdown dissent. 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. The Government of Canada categorically opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, everywhere. The Islamic Republic of Iran’s use of the death penalty is particularly abhorrent, and in direct violation of international law which defines clear restrictions limiting the use of the death penalty to only the most serious crimes. Canada will continue to call on the Iranian regime to impose an immediate moratorium on the death penalty with a view to full abolition. Canada has consistently and unequivocally condemned all forms of repression of human rights in Iran, including the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and freedom of association. 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 the regime’s serious and ongoing violations, urges improvement, and calls on Iranian authorities to cooperate with human rights mechanisms. On December 18, 2025, this resolution was adopted with 78 votes in favour at the General Assembly. Canada will lead on the resolution once again in 2026. In response to the recent actions of the Islamic Republic of Iran regime against its own citizens, 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. Issued a joint statement on Iranian state threats and HAYI-claimed attacks with 21 other nations on June 10, 2026, condemning Iran’s lethal plotting and other malign actions in Europe, North American and Australia, including attacks targeting Jewish communities, Iranian journalists, and US interests. Canada is pleased to work closely with the World Coalition Against the Death Penalty, the International Commission Against the Death Penalty and the Alliance for Torture-Free Trade, all of which aim to abolish the use of the death penalty, torture and other cruel and degrading punishments. The majority of nations have abolished the death penalty, and Canada proudly stands among them. Canada’s stance is rooted in a commitment to upholding human rights for all individuals. The Government of Canada also continues to call for accountability by perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses. To this end, Canada is supporting international partners to pursue independent investigations and accountability through multilateral mechanisms, including through the efforts 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. At the United Nations Human Rights Council on January 23, 2026, Canada intervened to condemn 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 Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to specifically document and preserve evidence of Iran’s violent response to these protests to support future accountability processes. On March 16, 2026, Canada delivered a joint intervention with Australia and New Zealand at the Human Rights Council condemning Iran’s violent response to protests, demanding accountability, and reaffirming the need for sustained international scrutiny. Canada supported the Session’s associated resolution mandating the Fact-Finding Mission on Iran to specifically document and preserve evidence of Iran’s violent response to these protests to support accountability. 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). On December 15, 2025, Canada sanctioned four additional senior Iranian officials for their direct roles in implementing repressive policies to violently suppress protests and/or for serious violations of the rights of prisoners, including arbitrarily detained protesters and political opponents. On February 14, 2026, Canada announced new measures on seven individuals linked to Iranian state bodies responsible for intimidation, violence and transnational repression targeting Iranian dissidents and human rights defenders. On March 26, 2026, Canada announced additional sanctions under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations, against five individuals and four entities for their direct or indirect involvement in procurement networks that produce and supply technology supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ weapon production and transfers to proxies, including to Russia for its use in its war of aggression against Ukraine. These measures build on Canada’s broader efforts to maintain pressure on Iran, including: Listing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Codeon June 19, 2024. Canada has also listed the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations under theCriminal Code; Designating the Government of Iran as a regime engaged in terrorism and systematic or gross human rights violations under theImmigration and Refugee Protection Act, rendering any senior official who served since June 23, 2003, inadmissible to Canada; Designating Iran as a state supporter of terrorism under the State Immunity Act. The Government of Canada reconfirmed this designation on December 4, 2025. Canada does not support any opposition figure in Iran, and it stands with the Iranian people in their long and courageous struggle against the regime’s oppressive rule. The future of Iran must be decided by the Iranian people, and the Government calls on Iranian leadership to listen to the voices of its people.