cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/8651983
Federal officials have ramped up their monitoring of Tehran’s threats against members of the Iranian diaspora in Canada, a senior public safety executive said Tuesday at a conference in Ottawa.
“We’re keeping a very close eye on their actions,” Sebastien Aubertin-Giguere, the national counter-foreign interference coordinator and an associate assistant deputy minister at Public Safety Canada, said at the Ottawa Civic Space Summit.
“Especially the Iranians have a history of, whenever they feel challenged and whenever the diaspora gets active, they have a history of fighting back. And they have also, unfortunately, a history of lethal activities.”
He made the remarks during a panel discussion at a conference held by Co-operation Canada, which represents dozens of Canadian non-profits working in international assistance.
Aubertin-Giguere said technology and rising geopolitical competition have made it cheaper and more advantageous for authoritarian states to reach out “beyond their borders to harass and try to silence the people they disagree with,” including in Canada.
“We’re seeing an uptick. At the same time, Canada’s demography is changing and it means that in many ways, Canada becomes a battleground for the political fights of the home country. So it creates sort of the conditions for transnational repression,” he said.
…
Meanwhile, for many members of the Iranian diaspora in Canada, it’s not the oil embargo at the Strait of Hormuz or the diplomacy in Islamabad that is top of mind. They simply want to stay in touch with their families back in Iran.
Eight weeks into the war and far away from flying missiles, the Iranian diaspora in Canada struggles with focusing on their everyday lives as concerns grow about their families in their native land …The internet blackout imposed by the Tehran government since February 2 has significantly affected the Iranian diaspora …
Mozdeh Rouz, a Montreal resident, has noticed hair loss due to the extreme stress she has faced from recent uncertainty. She has been able to contact her family, although infrequently – about twice a month for only a few minutes at a time.
“It’s not a normal life … It’s full of stress, full of bad feelings,” she said …