Bill S-261 (Historical)

This enactment provides a framework for Canada to lift sanctions against Iran by establishing reasonable benchmarks based on Iranian behaviour with respect to terrorism, human rights violations and incitement to hatred. It also establishes measures to deter Iran from such behavior and to hold Iran to account for its misconduct.
It provides for an ongoing analysis of the incidence of terrorist activity, support of terrorism, incitement to hatred and human rights violations emanating from Iran, the identification of Iranian officials who are responsible for such activities and the strengthening of Canada’s non-nuclear sanctions regime against Iran by
(a) authorizing the Minister of Foreign Affairs to publish an annual report on Iran-sponsored terrorism, incitement to hatred and human rights violations that includes a description of measures taken by the Government of Canada to address those activities;
(b) authorizing the Governor in Council to order that Canada’s current sanctions regime against Iran cannot be eased unless an annual report concludes that, in the calendar year immediately preceding the year in which the report was published, Iran made significant progress in respect of human rights, eliminating terrorist activity and support of terrorism emanating from Iran and eliminating incidents of incitement to hatred emanating from Iran; and
(c) authorizing the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness to consider whether to recommend that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) be named a listed entity (terrorist group) under the Criminal Code.
It also provides for the freezing of assets of permanent residents and foreign nationals who are listed in the annual report as having been responsible for terrorist-related activities, incitement to hatred, or serious human rights violations, and amends the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to render inadmissible such persons whose actions would, if committed in Canada, have constituted an indictable offence.