Liberal MP requires ‘extreme’ journey restrictions on Iranian official accused of terrorism ties
Liberal MP Ali Ehsassi, chair of the Commons international affairs committee, is looking on the federal authorities to impose “extreme” journey restrictions on Iran’s consultant on the United Nations aviation company in Montreal.
Ehsassi instructed CBC Information the federal authorities has retained legal professionals to weigh its choices relating to claims that Iran’s aviation envoy Farhad Parvaresh has ties to a terrorist group. Parvaresh denies the allegation that he has hyperlinks to Iran’s Quds Pressure, listed by Canada as a terror group.
“In cases akin to this, there’s a precedent the place host nations of worldwide organizations can impose restrictions on envoys,” stated Ehsassi, including the federal government is talking to different nations about Parvaresh.
Canada cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012 and expelled its diplomats. Parvaresh is designated a everlasting consultant at ICAO and isn’t an envoy to Canada. Particular person nations can prohibit a diplomat’s actions inside their borders, stated Ehsassi.
Because the three-year anniversary of the destruction of Flight PS752 by Iranian forces on January 8, 2020 approached, protesters gathered exterior the Worldwide Civil Aviation Group (ICAO) in downtown Montreal on Thursday. Some carried indicators demanding Parvaresh’s expulsion, together with any Iranian officers with ties to the Iranian regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
“Proper now he’s residing in Montreal and he is a member of [ICAO],” stated demonstrator Mohammad Aminnia, whose fiancée died on Flight PS752. “We can not imagine that.”
The IRGC shot down the civilian plane with two surface-to-air missiles shortly after takeoff over Tehran. All 176 folks onboard died, together with 55 Canadians and 30 everlasting residents. Most have been on their method to Canada.
Iranian media exterior of Iran have reported on a purported audio recording of Iran’s former international minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. CBC Information has not independently verified the tape.
The Persian-language TV station Iran Worldwide, based mostly in London, U.Okay. reported that the audio means that whereas Parvaresh was the top of Iran Air, the previous head of Iran’s Quds Pressure — Gen. Qassem Soleimani — used that civilian airline for army functions.
Canada has designated the Quds Pressure as a terrorist group and calls it a clandestine department of the IRGC accountable for funding, arming and coaching extremist teams.
Parvaresh stated the audio file “is to not be trusted” and insisted he adopted all worldwide requirements whereas he was the top of Iran Air.
“I hereby emphasize that I’ve by no means had any kind of reference to Quds drive earlier than, throughout and after my duty because the CEO of Iran Air,” Parvaresh instructed CBC Information in an announcement.
The U.S. Division of the Treasury warned in 2019 that many Iranian commercial airlines “allow Iran’s army assist” for the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad by delivering “deadly materials, together with weapons shipments, prolonging the brutal battle and the struggling of hundreds of thousands of Syrians.”
Iran Air additionally confronted U.S. sanctions between 2011 and 2016 when it was designated as an entity owned or managed by the federal government of Iran. Parvaresh was the top of Iran Air till 2017, when he moved to Montreal. U.S. sanctions have been lifted by the Obama administration throughout talks on a nuclear take care of Iran; they have been re-imposed in 2018.
An affiliation representing the households of Flight PS752 victims in Canada pressed the federal government about Parvaresh in 2021 earlier than a House of Commons committee and in its personal “fact-finding report.”
“I feel this man needs to be expelled from Canada and from this group,” stated affiliation spokesperson Hamed Esmaeilion, whose spouse and nine-year-old daughter died on Flight PS752.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran would not need to be a part of this group …”
When requested if the ICAO has appeared into allegations towards Parvaresh, the UN aviation company stated representatives are assigned by their dwelling nations and any “investigation regarding their behaviour or efficiency must be carried out by their state.”
When requested if the federal government was ready to place journey restrictions on Parvaresh, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra didn’t commit.
“There’s a number of work being executed and I am not going to pre-empt a solution to a query the place we’re all instruments that we have now at our disposal,” Alghabra instructed visitor host Catherine Cullen on CBC’s Energy and Politics.
Alghabra’s workplace stated the federal government is required as an ICAO host state to supply diplomatic privileges and immunities to Iran’s consultant in Montreal.
Expelling Parvaresh would “put into query Canada’s neutrality as a number state, and sure undermine Canada’s aims at ICAO, together with these associated to Flight PS752,” Alghabra’s workplace stated in a media assertion.
The federal government has vowed to carry Iran accountable for the destruction of Flight PS752. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke privately to victims’ households on Friday forward of the Sunday anniversary.
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