The Canadian government is putting in place new penalties on two Iranians it accuses of taking part in the violent suppression of women and girls in Iran.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is making the announcement on International Women’s Day.
Joly says Iranian women and girls face an increasingly repressive environment where they risk injury or death for expressing themselves or demanding basic rights.
Canada has now laid penalties against 155 individuals and 87 entities since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in 2022.
Amini died in police custody after being arrested, reportedly for wearing her hijab incorrectly.
The chief executive of the capital city’s transit system and a senior parliamentarian are both being added to the list for carrying out “increasingly repressive measures.”
Masoud Dorosti, the Tehran metro executive, enforces the country’s mandatory hijab law on public transit, Joly’s office said in a statement.
Also facing penalty is Zohreh Elahian, a conservative politician who supports the death penalty for protesters involved in a movement called “Women, Life, Freedom.”
“These two individuals have used their positions of influence to call for or carry out increasingly repressive measures against women and girls in Iran,” Joly’s office said.
Those on the penalties list are barred from entering Canada and prohibited from doing any business with Canadians.
