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One Year Later, Iran Still Needs to Be Held to Account

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Jan. 8, 2021
TORONTO/OTTAWA – On the one year anniversary of the shooting down of Flight PS752 by an Iranian surface to air missile, Canada’s grassroots Jewish and Iranian communities are jointly calling on the federal government to take concrete action against the Iranian regime.
On Jan. 8, 2020, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) shot down a passenger plane over Tehran, killing 176 innocent people – more than 80 of whom were Canadian residents. The families of several victims are being joined by B’nai Brith Canada and Justice 88 in demanding both answers and action on this occasion.
Days after the tragedy, with the support of several prominent Iranian-Canadian human rights organizations, B’nai Brith filed a lawsuit against the Canadian government demanding that it comply with a 2018 parliamentary motion which calls on it to list the IRGC in its entirety as a terrorist organization.
The IRGC is responsible for upholding the brutal Islamist dictatorship’s power, both within Iran and abroad. Since 1979, it has been responsible for carrying out some of the most heinous acts of terrorism and human rights abuses of our time – including the bombing of a Jewish community centre in Argentina and the persecution and mass executions of thousands of political dissidents, religious and sexual minorities, and others in Iran. It is a listed terrorist entity in the United States.
“One year later, our families continue to suffer and mourn as a result of what happened,” said Shahin Moghaddam and Mehrzad Zarei, two family members of Flight PS752 victims. “The IRGC is responsible for what happened to our loved ones, just as they have caused similar grief and heartbreak for the families of countless other victims over the past 40 years. We insist that our Canadian government do the right thing and seek justice for the victims of this tragedy.”
“This is not merely a symbolic gesture,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “We are insisting upon concrete, tangible actions to prevent the IRGC from operating in this country. The IRGC not only has Canadian blood on its hands, but it poses a clear and present threat to freedom-loving Canadians of all kinds.”
“A year has passed since this unspeakable tragedy befell the Iranian-Canadian community, yet we are still stuck demanding answers from our government,” said Reza Banai, Chair of Justice 88. “We will continue to fight for human rights and inform the public about this evil regime for as long as its crimes continue.”
“On this somber occasion, this must be addressed once and for all,” Mostyn added. “The IRGC must be designated as a terrorist organization immediately.”