Sanctions That Bite

Persona non Grata in Canada

"Mr. Ramin Fallah does not nor has he ever worked for an internationally sanctioned entity that deals with goods and products that are listed under [Special Economic Measures Act] regulations."
Immi Sikand, lawyer for Ramin Fallah

"[Fanavari Azmayeshgahi] has been identified in open sources and by allied governments as being an entity of WMD [weapons of mass destruction] concern."
"[Britain considers the company] an entity that poses 'unacceptable risks of diversion to a WMD program of concern', [while Japan identifies it as] an entity of potential WMD concern."
Canada Border Services Agency

Photo via Federal Court   Picture of Ramin Fallah deemed by CBSA a security threat to Canada because of his past employment with an Iranian company linked to nuclear proliferation.

And that being so, the intention of Iranian executive Ramin Fallah to obtain a work permit and a visa for entry to Canada has been denied On the basis that issuing such a work permit to someone considered to be a security threat resulting from his having worked for Fanavari Azmayeshgahi, a company which "has been involved with procurement connected to the Iranian nuclear program", Mr. Fallah is identified as being a potential risk and danger to Canada.

Iran is in the process of defying the very agreement that was reached by its nuclear negotiating team and the representatives of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, France, Britain, United States, Russia, China -- and Germany. Yet the agreement whose original demands made of the Islamic Republic were all neutralized by Iran's intransigent position, is being 'honoured' by the United States, determined to see it through to implementation.

Whereby Iran's treasury will be replenished allowing it to continue funding terrorism throughout the Middle East and abroad. It will feel free to buy all the advanced weaponry it feels it wishes to, to continue sharing it with the butchering Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, in the interests of also equipping Iran's proxy militia Hezbollah. Its largess will extend to other terrorist groups in the region, like Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the greater interests of challenging Saudi Arabia as the region's eminent power.

Canada will have no part of all of this. Including permitting a known ally of the Islamist government to enter Canada and infiltrate where he wishes, to further his personal ambitions, those of his business contacts, and that of his country. Having invested $1.3 million in the company he planned to represent in Canada the three-year work permit Mr. Fallah meant to obtain will simply not fall to him. Canada has severed all diplomatic relations with the Republic; Mr. Fallah's plans will not be honoured.

His investment to enable him to become vice-president and chief operations officer of Canadian Plasma Resources will not happen on Canada's watch. and that decision was validated by the Federal Court, turning down an appeal of the ruling. Iran's nuclear program continues in development and importing dual-use technologies and materials and diverting them into nuclear production is precisely what has launched international sanctions against many Iranian companies.

Another of Mr. Fallah's lawyers stated that if her client or the company he represents were indeed a threat they would be listed under Canada's Special Economic Measures Act regulations: "We are shocked because there is no evidence to demonstrate that there is a matter of national security here", said Cathryn Sawicki. The shock is that Iran feels free to get on with its program of inciting to terrorism unchallenged.