By Maryam Manzoori | 2024-11-27

Canadian authorities recently thwarted an Iranian regime plot to assassinate former justice minister and prominent human rights advocate Irwin Cotler, according to Canada's Globe and Mail newspaper.

In October, Canadian intelligence services identified Cotler, 84, as a target of the Iranian regime, and he has received round-the-clock protection while authorities continue to pursue suspects, according to the newspaper.

A distinguished lawyer, politician and vocal critic of the Iranian regime, Cotler spearheaded efforts to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization.

Cotler, who declared the assassination plot a "wake-up call" for democracies worldwide, also has used his legal expertise to represent Iranian political prisoners and dissidents.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry has dismissed the accusations as fabricated.

But the threat against Cotler is part of a broader pattern. In a parallel case, US authorities exposed the Iranian regime's use of international networks to eliminate opposition and suppress dissent.

Three individuals face charges in an Iranian-orchestrated murder-for-hire scheme that targeted Iranian-American activists and others in the United States.

The US Department of Justice named IRGC asset Farhad Shakeri as the mastermind of the plot, revealing that he worked with two accomplices, who are now in custody.

In messages exchanged with his accomplices, Shakeri shared the IRGC's plans for surveillance and assassination of regime critics, including an Iranian-American journalist and human rights activist.

Community concerns

Canada's Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne condemned the assassination plot targeting Cotler as "very concerning," echoing parliament's forceful denunciation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada has taken "significant measures to crack down on the murderous Iranian regime’s impact in Canada and to hold it to account."

"This is horrifying news for all Canadians, especially for Iranian-Canadians and those critical of the Iranian regime," said a Montreal dentist, 56, who fled Iran two decades ago.

"If a former minister is receiving life threats, it could happen to any political activist criticizing the regime," said the dentist, who spoke with Pishtaz on condition that his name not be used, out of fear of reprisals.

"It means political activists, human rights defenders and freedom advocates who challenge the regime in free countries must now censor themselves to stay safe," he said.

As the Iranian regime pursues critics and dissidents overseas, the Iranian people are suffering as a result of its oppression and neglect at home, which has triggered sanctions for its human rights abuses.

Meanwhile, Iran is facing rolling blackouts as state funds that could be used to repair dilapidated infrastructure flow to the Iranian military, regional militias and to fund the regime's foreign adventurism.