Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Senator Gold, a 36‑year-old Canadian researcher, Raouf Farrah, was recently sentenced to two years in prison in Algeria. He has been held in an Algerian jail since February on charges of receiving funds that would disturb the public peace. Every observer agrees that these charges are baseless. According to PEN America, this unjust sentence against Raouf Farrah illustrates how far the Algerian government is willing to go to stamp out critical commentary and independent scholarship.

Senator Gold, can you give us any information about steps under way to try to have Mr. Farrah freed from prison?

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Honourable colleagues, on Christmas Eve, I agreed to sponsor a young Iranian teacher, Mona Afsami, who has been imprisoned since October 19. I did so at the request of the Iranian community in Montreal, which is trying to draw Canadians’ attention to the brutality of the Iranian regime as it executes its opponents. This sponsorship campaign is symbolic, but it gives a face to Iran’s 14,000 political prisoners.

More than 300 European parliamentarians led the way, and about 50 Canadian parliamentarians have followed suit. Senator Ratna Omidvar and I are sponsoring Mona Afsami who has been accused of collusion against national security. She faces five years in prison for daring to protest.

The unrest began last September following the arrest of young Mahsa Amini. For not wearing her headscarf properly, she died in detention, at the hands of law enforcement.

Iranian women took to the streets without their veils to denounce the harassment and oppression they endure. This “feminist revolution” then extended to all Iranians, both men and women, mostly young, who want the end of a regime that is suffocating them. Nearly 470 protesters have allegedly died, including several dozen children. There have been at least four public executions.

The stories coming out of Iran are chilling. Prison guards reportedly severely beat young Elham Modaresi for going on a hunger strike. Her family believes her life to be in danger. Another young woman, Sepideh Qalandari, is said to have died under torture after her arrest in Tehran. Her body was handed over to her family in exchange for a promise of silence.

The torture, crackdown on demonstrations and denial of fundamental justice for detainees have been denounced throughout the world. What can we do?

Canada has very little influence over the Iranian regime as economic and diplomatic relations between the two countries are very limited, but this does not mean that we are completely powerless. The Canadian government could take inspiration from other countries and increase pressure on the Iranian regime by adding the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to the list of 73 terrorist organizations, for example.

After the violent upheavals last year, 2023 will be decisive for Iranians who dream of freedom and for those who have stood with them, including thousands of Canadians. It is time for Canada to deploy all its means to support the aspirations of our friends in Iran: women, life, freedom.

Hon. Julie Miville-Dechêne: Senator Gold, 12 days ago one of the most famous prisoners of conscience in the world, Raif Badawi, was released after spending 10 years in prison in Saudi Arabia.

Unfortunately, that is not the end of his ordeal. His passport was confiscated and he has been banned from leaving Saudi Arabia for the next 10 years, in addition to being fined the equivalent of $335,000. Knowing that Mr. Badawi’s wife and three children, all naturalized Canadians living in Sherbrooke, have had to live without him for the past decade, is Canada prepared to give him safe passage and issue Raif Badawi a temporary passport so that he may be reunited with his family?