Vol. 145, No. 22 — October 26, 2011

Registration

SOR/2011-225 October 17, 2011

SPECIAL ECONOMIC MEASURES ACT

Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations

P.C. 2011-1180 October 17, 2011

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that the situation in Iran constitutes a grave breach of international peace and security that has resulted or is likely to result in a serious international crisis;

Therefore, His Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, pursuant to subsections 4(1) to (3) of the Special Economic Measures Act (see footnote a), hereby makes the annexed Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.

REGULATIONS AMENDING THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC
MEASURES (IRAN) REGULATIONS

AMENDMENT

1. Part 2 of Schedule 1 to the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations (see footnote 1) is amended by adding the following after item 42:

43. Abdul Reza Shahlai

44. Ali Gholam Shakuri

45. Hamed Abdollahi

46. Manssor Arbabsiar

47. Qasem Soleimani

APPLICATION BEFORE PUBLICATION

2. For the purpose of paragraph 11(2)(a) of the Statutory Instruments Act , these Regulations apply before they are published in the Canada Gazette .

COMING INTO FORCE

3. These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Issue and objectives

On October 11, 2011, the Attorney General of the United States announced charges against two men, Manssor Arbabsiar and Gholam Shakuri, who allegedly plotted to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the United States. Arbabsiar is an Iranian and American dual citizen and is currently in the custody of United States officials. Shakuri is an Iranian citizen believed to be in Iran, and is a member of the Quds Force, a unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). The United States has indicated that the Iranian government is complicit in directing the assassination plot, and has condemned the plot as a violation of international law, specifically a crime against an internationally protected person. The United States has called on the international community for the complete implementation of existing sanctions against Iran and immediate sanctions against five IRGC members suspected in orchestrating this plot. The United States has also called for a freeze on assets and preventing any financial dealings with those individuals.

The amendments to the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations add five individuals identified by the United States to the list of designated persons subject to sanctions under those Regulations. These five individuals are associated with the IRGC-Quds Force, either as senior officials or as persons associated with them, and are alleged to have orchestrated this assassination plot. The addition of the names of the five individuals associated with the IRGC-Quds Force will freeze their assets in Canada.

Description and rationale

The Government of Canada has made these amendments to the Regulations in order to respond to the gravity of the assassination plot in the United States, in accordance with the reasons for listing permitted under the Regulations, including the names of former or current senior officials of the IRGC, or their associates.

Adding these five names to the list of designated persons will prevent Canadians and persons in Canada from having dealings with these five individuals.

Consultation

The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade drafted the Regulations having consulted the Department of Justice.

Implementation, enforcement and service standards

Compliance is ensured by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency. Every person who contravenes the Regulations is liable, upon conviction, to the punishments set out in section 8 of the Special Economic Measures Act.

Contacts

Uday Sequeira
Desk Officer — Iran
Middle East, Gulf and Maghreb Relations
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
Telephone: 613-996-3877
Fax: 613-944-7431
Email: uday.sequeira@international.gc.ca

Roland Legault
Deputy Director
United Nations, Human Rights and Economic Law Division (JLH)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
Telephone: 613-944-1599
Fax: 613-992-2467
Email: roland.legault@international.gc.ca

Hugh Adsett
Director
United Nations, Human Rights and Economic Law Division (JLH)
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G2
Telephone: 613-992-6296
Fax: 613-992-2467
Email: hugh.adsett@international.gc.ca

Footnote a
S.C. 1992, c. 17

Footnote 1
SOR/2010-165