Canada announces sanctions in response to long-standing human rights violations

December 8, 2023 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that Canada is imposing sanctions against seven individuals under the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Regulations for human rights violations.

As we prepare to mark International Human Rights Day, Canada is imposing these sanctions in coordination with the United Kingdom and United States to condemn individuals who are responsible for, or complicit in, various human rights violations related to the LGBTQI+ purge in Chechnya, the torture and killing of Iranian-Canadian photo-journalist Zahra Kazemi in Iran and attacks against pro-democracy supporters and civilians in Myanmar. These sanctioned individuals are directly responsible for a list of crimes that include extrajudicial killings, torture and other gross violations of human rights against activists and defenders who dared to stand up for their rights.

Canada is deeply concerned with these long-standing human rights violations and the impunity enjoyed by the individuals who committed them. By imposing these measures, we are reaffirming our commitment to foster an effective rules-based international order and to join forces with likeminded governments to uphold respect for human rights and democracy.