Canada imposes new Iran sanctions over human rights

(Reuters) -Canada imposed new sanctions on Iran on Thursday in response to the government's human rights abuses and destabilizing actions, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The new sanctions list includes three entities and 17 people including longtime Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif, the ministry said.

Others include Amir Hatami, an army general and former defense minister and Saeed Mortazavi, an Iranian prosecutor who Canada says ordered the torture of Canadian-Iranian journalist Zahra Kazemi. Kazemi died as a result of her mistreatment while in custody in 2003.

"The actions of the Iranian regime speak for themselves – the world has watched for years as it has pursued its agenda of violence, fear and propaganda," said Foreign Minister Melanie Joly.

"Canada will continue to defend human rights and we will continue to stand in solidarity with the Iranian people, including women and youth, who are courageously demanding a future where their human rights will be fully respected."

The action builds on earlier Canadian sanctions on Iran, most recently on Oct. 3, which Canada said it imposed over human rights violations, including the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurdish woman who died while in custody of Iran's "morality police."

Protests calling for the fall of the clerical establishment have swept Iran since Amini died on Sept. 16 while being detained for "inappropriate attire."

Clashes between protesters and security forces persisted across Iran on Tuesday, with social media videos showing tanks being transported to Kurdish areas, which have been a focal point of the crackdown on protests.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Marguerita Choy)

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