Facing deportation, alleged senior Iranian regime member leaves Canada
An alleged senior member of the Iranian regime has “voluntarily departed Canada” days before she was to face deportation proceedings, Global News has learned.
Elham Zandi left the country after the Canada Border Services Agency signaled its intention to expel her by asking the Immigration and Refugee Board to hold a hearing.
She is the third suspected high-ranking member of the Iranian government to depart Canada after being targeted under sanctions adopted just over two years ago.
Global News reported last week that the CBSA had withdrawn its case against Zandi. At the time, officials did not explain why.
But documents released to Global News show Zandi opted to leave Canada on Feb. 25, in advance of her deportation case, which was scheduled to begin on March 7.
As a result, the IRB closed her file.
Zandi is among 18 alleged senior Iranian regime members found living in Canada since the government launched a crackdown against them in 2022.
Top officials of the Islamic Republic were barred from the country in response to Tehran’s brutal suppression of Woman, Life, Freedom movement protesters.
To date, just one such official has been deported, but two others have now left voluntarily, including Zandi. Another remains in Canada despite a deportation order.
The IRB declined to issue deportation orders in two further cases and the rest remain ongoing.
Initially, Zandi came to Canada claiming to be a tourist but once here, she applied for a work permit. When she did not get one, she sued Canada for $10,000.
According to documents released by the Federal Court, the office of Liberal MP Patrick Weiler made repeated inquiries to the immigration department about the status of her work permit.
The British Columbia MP’s office said it was unaware of the CBSA allegations against Zandi and was responding to a request by her daughter, who is a constituent.
Iran is the state sponsor of terror groups Hezbollah and Hamas, which attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggering a military response in Gaza and region-wide conflict.
It has also been accused of trying to silence dissidents and critics in Canada, among them activists and former Liberal MP Irwin Cotler, who was allegedly targeted for assassination.
In her report on foreign interference, commissioner Marie-Josée Hogue wrote that community members had told her Iranian officials lived “openly and freely in Canada.”
Iranian Canadian activists have challenged the federal government to do better job of screening out regime members and supporters they say are treating the country as a safe haven.
The CBSA held a deportation hearing two weeks ago for Amin Yousefijam, a Toronto-based Iranian national who has used multiple identities and was convicted in the U.S. of helping Iran evade sanctions.