Canada deports another senior member of Iranian regime

Canada has deported a senior member of the Iranian regime after a judge dismissed his appeal, Global News is reporting.

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The Canada Border Services Agency confirmed in a statement to Global that it has removed Iran’s former deputy interior minister and official spokesperson, Syed Salman Samani, from Canada.

Samani is the second regime official to be expelled under a 2022 policy aimed at banning high-ranking members of Iran’s government from the country. He was a career politician in Iran from 2007 to 2021, before his arrival in Canada in October of that year, according to the CBSA.

His deportation was ordered by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) in 2024, reports Global. An appeal of that decision was rejected by the Federal Court, as per a decision released this week. Justice Sébastien Grammond noted that Samani told the CBSA he “had significant power and influence over (Iranian) government decisions.”

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Moreover, Samani’s ministry oversaw police forces “responsible for the widespread killing of civilians and other human rights abuses,” stated Grammond. And Samani “publicly defended the ministry’s conduct” during the 2019 deadly crackdown. He “publicly threatened” politicians who questioned the police conduct, while insisting to the CBSA that he did not do anything wrong.

Nevertheless, Samani said he left Iran because demonstrators were killed. And he told the CBSA he was afraid of being harmed if Canada sent him back. The judge ruled against that concern and stated it was countered by Canada’s interest in expelling people responsible for human rights violations.

Samani tried to keep his appeal secret, but the judge dismissed that application. However, the court agreed to seal the case files.

Four years ago, reports Global, the federal government banned all senior officials connected with the Iranian regime but has since struggled in deporting them. The media outlet says data released at the end of June shows that the CBSA has launched 181 investigations into senior Iranian officials suspected of living in Canada and has identified 37 individuals.

Eight left Canada before deportations hearings commenced, reports Global. The IRB has issued deportation orders for three more. Meanwhile, 19 deportation proceedings are in progress, while seven were found not to be senior regime members. Fifty-five are still under investigation.

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