Poilievre urges minister to label Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah a terrorist group

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre wrote to Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree asking that Kata'ib Hezbollah be added to Canada’s terrorist list after recent arrests and alleged attacks in North America.

Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, addressed Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, demanding that the paramilitary organization Kata'ib Hezbollah be classified as a terrorist entity in Canada. The request follows U.S. authorities’ arrest of Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, accused of orchestrating dozens of attacks across Europe and North America, including a March 10 shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto and an assault on a Canadian synagogue.

Poilievre highlighted the group’s origins in 2007, its estimated 7,000-10,000 members, and its 2009 U.S. terrorist designation, noting its operations extend beyond Iraq to several Middle-Eastern nations. He condemned the ongoing threats to Jewish and Iranian Canadians and called for an inquiry into any domestic Kata'ib Hezbollah cells, potential criminal ties, and a tally of Iranian regime affiliates who have been identified, detained, or expelled. The minister previously defended limited deportations by citing due-process requirements and indicated 24 former IRGC officials are slated for removal.