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 advised CBC Information the federal authorities has retained attorneys to weigh its choices concerning 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 Power, listed by Canada as a terror group.

“In cases equivalent to this, there’s a precedent the place host international locations of worldwide organizations can impose restrictions on envoys,” mentioned Ehsassi, including the federal government is chatting with different international locations about Parvaresh.

Canada reduce 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 international locations can prohibit a diplomat’s actions inside their borders, mentioned Ehsassi.

Because the three-year anniversary of the destruction of Flight PS752 by Iranian forces on January 8, 2020 approached, protesters gathered outdoors 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 dwelling in Montreal and he is a member of [ICAO],” mentioned demonstrator Mohammad Aminnia, whose fiancée died on Flight PS752. “We can’t consider that.”

The IRGC shot down the civilian plane with two surface-to-air missiles shortly after takeoff over Tehran. All 176 individuals onboard died, together with 55 Canadians and 30 everlasting residents. Most have been on their technique to Canada. 

Iranian media outdoors 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, primarily based in London, U.Okay. reported that the audio means that whereas Parvaresh was the pinnacle of Iran Air, the previous head of Iran’s Quds Power — Gen. Qassem Soleimani — used that civilian airline for navy functions.

Canada has designated the Quds Power as a terrorist group and calls it a clandestine department of the IRGC accountable for funding, arming and coaching extremist teams.

Parvaresh mentioned the audio file “is to not be trusted” and insisted he adopted all worldwide requirements whereas he was the pinnacle of Iran Air.

“I hereby emphasize that I’ve by no means had any kind of reference to Quds power earlier than, throughout and after my accountability because the CEO of Iran Air,” Parvaresh advised CBC Information in a press release.

The U.S. Division of the Treasury warned in 2019 that many Iranian industrial airways “allow Iran’s navy 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 tens of millions 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 pinnacle 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 Home of Commons committee and in its personal “fact-finding report.”

“I believe this man needs to be expelled from Canada and from this group,” mentioned 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 …”

The Transport Minister’s workplace mentioned that call is less than Canada, including “selections on membership lie throughout the United Nations system and never with the host state.”

When requested if the ICAO has appeared into allegations towards Parvaresh, the UN aviation company mentioned representatives are assigned by their dwelling international locations 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 may be loads of work being performed and I am not going to pre-empt a solution to a query the place we’re all instruments that we now have at our disposal,” Alghabra advised visitor host Catherine Cullen on CBC’s Energy and Politics.

Alghabra’s workplace mentioned the federal government is required as an ICAO host state to offer diplomatic privileges and immunities to Iran’s consultant in Montreal.

Expelling Parvaresh would “put into query Canada’s neutrality as a bunch state, and certain undermine Canada’s targets at ICAO, together with these associated to Flight PS752,” Alghabra’s workplace mentioned 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.