Petition to the Government of Canada

The Government of Canada is reportedly considering a disastrous misstep: restoring diplomatic engagement with the Islamic Republic of Iran and reopening the Canadian embassy in Tehran.

Let us be completely unambiguous. Diplomatic relations are not mere administrative paperwork; they are a profound validation of legitimacy. Reopening an embassy in Tehran is a political concession that signals international normalization.

To normalize relations with the current regime is to complicitly overlook a decades-long record of state-sponsored atrocities. Canada must firmly reject any diplomatic re-engagement unless, and until, there is independent, verifiable, and sustained progress in human rights, national security, and international law.

The Reality of the Regime

We are not dealing with a standard state actor navigating a geopolitical disagreement. We are dealing with a totalitarian entity that occupies Iran and maintains power through systematic terror.

  • State-Sponsored Terrorism: Canada has correctly and formally designated the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. The IRGC is not a traditional military; it is a terrorist organization responsible for regional destabilization, global militancy, and the brutal suppression of its own citizens.

  • Domestic Atrocities: This is a regime that survives by executing political prisoners, murdering peaceful protesters, torturing dissidents, and arbitrarily detaining foreign nationals and dual citizens as geopolitical hostages.

  • The Crime of Flight PS752: The downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 was an act of mass murder that stole the lives of 176 innocent people, including dozens of Canadians. The families of these victims have been met with nothing but obstruction, intimidation, and a total denial of truth.

The Irreversible Consequences of Appeasement

When Canada closed its embassy in Tehran in 2012, it did so due to legitimate, profound threats to international security and the safety of Canadian personnel. None of those core threats have been resolved. In fact, they have metastasized.

Reopening diplomatic channels under the current conditions carries severe, irreversible consequences:

  • It rewards transnational repression. The regime’s reach extends far beyond its borders. Iranian-Canadian activists, journalists, and dissidents right here in Canada are subjected to ongoing foreign interference, surveillance, and death threats. Legitimizing the regime weakens Canada’s ability to protect its own citizens on Canadian soil.

  • It betrays the victims. Normalization sends a devastating message to the families of Flight PS752 victims, to political prisoners, and to the millions of Iranians risking their lives for freedom: that political expediency matters more than human lives.

  • It erodes Canadian foreign policy integrity. Canada has long positioned itself as a global defender of democracy and human rights. You cannot claim to stand for the rule of law while simultaneously shaking hands with a designated terrorist entity.

Our Direct Demand to the Government of Canada

Consular services are important, but practical administrative hurdles must never outweigh national security, global justice, and human rights. We call on the Government of Canada to draw an uncompromising line:

  1. Refuse Diplomatic Normalization: Maintain the closure of diplomatic missions until there is measurable, independently verified, and sustained systemic change in Iran.

  2. Demand Accountability for Flight PS752: Prioritize criminal justice and full reparations for the victims and their families.

  3. Crush Transnational Repression: Aggressively enforce sanctions and implement robust domestic protections to shield the Iranian-Canadian community from intimidation and foreign interference.

  4. Enforce and Expand Sanctions: Continuously freeze the assets and restrict the travel of individuals associated with the IRGC and the regime’s terror apparatus.

  5. Listen to the Community: Before any decision regarding Iran is even debated, the government must meaningfully consult with the families of victims, human rights experts, and national security professionals—not dictatorial emissaries.

Canada’s foreign policy must be anchored in justice, human rights, and the rule of law. We urge all Canadians, human rights defenders, and global citizens to stand with us, sign this petition, and demand that Canada refuses to legitimize a terrorist regime.

No normalization without justice. No reopening without accountability.