Article content

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

Article content

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.

Article content

Article content

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.

Article content

Article content

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.”

Article content

Article content

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.

Article content

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.

Article content

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

Article content

Article content

The Abraham Global Peace Initiative said in a statement released via X that “one deportation is not enough,” while welcoming the forced departure of Samani.

Article content

Article content

Further, the AGPI stated that it “expects the federal government to identify, investigate and, where legally admissible, deport all estimated 750 (Iranian-regime) linked individuals believed to be in Canada. Our country must never serve as a sanctuary for agents of Tehran’s murderous regime.”

Article content