Re: Global News Article dated April 2, 2026, “Iranian facing deportation for sanctions evasion tries to sponsor mother to immigrate”
April 17, 2026
The Iranian Canadian Legal Professionals (ICLP) is a national organization representing over 400 Canadian lawyers, law students, and court translators of Iranian heritage. The above referenced article as reported by Stewart Bell (Link below) indicates that while AminYousefijam is facing deportation for violating sanctions against Islamic Republic of Iran, he has filed a court case against the Canadian government for rejecting his attempt sponsor his mother to immigrate. On April 1st, 2025 he registered a letter under Court File No. IMM-1674-26 requesting the Court to make an order that all files will be anonymized. We wish to express our grave concern with granting such an order by federal court to any files associated with Amin Yousefijam.
Canada’s court proceedings are presumptively public for a reason: transparency is essential to public safety and confidence, and the rule of law. Justice not only has to be done but must be seen to be done. The open-court principle is constitutionally protected under section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (freedom of expression, including freedom of the press). As the Supreme Court of Canada has repeatedly affirmed, any restriction on openness—such as anonymization or sealing of court files—must overcome a stringent threshold: it must be necessary to prevent a serious risk to an important public interest, no reasonable alternative must exist, and the benefits of the restriction must outweigh its deleterious effects on transparency and public confidence in the administration of justice (Sherman Estate v. Donovan, 2021 SCC 25; Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. Named Person, 2024 SCC 21; Canadian Broadcasting Corp. v. New Brunswick (Attorney General), [1996] 3 S.C.R. 480).
Under Rule 151 of Federal Court Rules, the court must be satisfied that the material should be treated as confidential, notwithstanding the public interest in open and accessible court proceedings. This statutory requirement reflects the common-law test established by the Supreme Court of Canada in Sierra Club of Canada v. Canada (Minister of Finance), 2002 SCC 41, [2002] 2 S.C.R. 522, which holds that a confidentiality order may be granted onlywhere the salutary effects of the order outweigh its deleterious effects on the open-court principle
The individual at the center of this case, Amin Yousefijam (also known as Ameen Cohen) has previously changed his name twice, including following a conviction in the United States for violating sanctions laws related to the Islamic Republic of Iran, to hide his identity. We believe the court should not facilitate his efforts to anonymize his court cases from public and media. Matters of this nature engage significant public interest and considering the challenging times the Iranian Canadian community is experiencing, transparency of the judicial system is even more paramount. Appearance of justice is as crucial as its actual administration to maintain public confidence.
Secrecy in immigration cases or judicial reviews involving individuals with known ties to the Islamic Republic regime, jeopardizes public’s trust in our institutions, Canadian justice system and the rule of law. In this context, the public interest in transparency is especially acute, consistent with the Supreme Court’s recognition that open justice safeguards the rule of law and public confidence (Edmonton Journal v. Alberta (Attorney General), [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1326).
We therefore call on the federal court to keep the proceedings public as they are inherently meant to be in our free and democratic society. Alternatively, if the court determines that any resections must be granted in this case, after applying the Sierra Club and Sherman Estate tests, it should provide a clear public explanation for any restrictions imposed, consistent with the principles of open justice and the constitutional imperative of transparency under s. 2(b) of the Charter.
Yours respectfully,
Rose Bahrami, President
Iranian Canadian Legal Professionals (ICLP)
Co-Signed by:
Organizations:
• CDI - Canadians for Democracy in Iran
• IWOO – Iranian Women Organization of OntarioIndividuals:
• Afkham Mardukhi - Co-Founder of I2CRC (Intercultural Iranian Canadian Resource Centre)
• Dr. Arsalan Kahnemuyipour – Professor and Chair, Department of Language Studies, University of Toronto Mississauga
• Dr. Arsalan Mohajer - Founding member and former chair and current Trustee, Canadian Society of Iranian Engineers and Architects (MOHANDES), Retired professor, Director of COHAN Charity
• Babak Payami – Filmmaker
• Bahram Jalayer - Community Activist and Management Consultant
• Farid Rohani – Former Chair Laurier Institution
• Maral Karimi –Faculty Lecturer, Department of Politics & Public Administration Toronto Metropolitan University
• Mehrdad Ariannejad – CEO, Tirgan
• Dr. Reza Moridi – Former Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP), Ontario
Links:
https://globalnews.ca/news/11753869/iranian-facing-deportation-sanctions-evasion-sponsors-mother-immigrate/