Canada expels former Iranian deputy interior minister under 2022 ban

Canada's border authority confirmed the removal of Syed Salman Samani, a former deputy interior minister and spokesperson for Iran, under a 2022 directive that bars high-ranking Iranian officials from entering the country. Samani, a career politician from 2007 until 2021, arrived in Canada in October of that year and faced a deportation order from the Immigration and Refugee Board in 2024. The Federal Court, led by Justice Sébastien Grammond, denied his appeal, noting his own statements about wielding significant power over Iranian government decisions and overseeing police forces implicated in civilian killings and other abuses.

The judge also highlighted Samani's public justification of the 2019 deadly crackdown and his threats toward critics, rejecting his claim of fearing retaliation if returned to Iran. While Samani sought to keep the appeal confidential, the court allowed the records to be sealed. The case is part of a larger initiative that has launched 181 investigations, identified 37 senior officials, and resulted in several deportations and ongoing proceedings.