Canada to maintain human rights pressure on Iran at UPR

C O N F I D E N T I A L OTTAWA 000043

NOFORN
SIPDIS
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PASS TO AMCONSUL QUEBEC

E.O. 12958: DECL: 2020/01/27
TAGS: PHUM PREL IR CA
SUBJECT: Canada to maintain human rights pressure on Iran at UPR

REF: STATE 7242

CLASSIFIED BY: Scott Bellard, Minister Counselor for Political
Affairs, STATE, POL; REASON: 1.4(B),(D)


1. (C/NF) Canada agrees with U.S. views and suggested questions
and recommendations for the UN Human Rights Council's (HRC)
Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Iran (reftel),according to
Flavie Major, Deputy Director, and Dane Hiebert, Policy Officer, of
the Human Rights Policy Division of the Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). Hiebert added that
Canada plans to intervene at the February 15 session; he shared a
draft copy of Canada's recommendations. Major told POLOFF that EU
member countries of the HRC also plan to intervene as a bloc,
Canada learned during recent meetings.




2. (C/NF) According to the DFAIT draft, Canada will offer
recommendations in the following areas at the Iran HRC UPR:




1. The cessation of the repression, arbitrary arrests,
detentions, and torture of democracy activists as following the
June 2009 elections;


2. The recognition of the rights of freedom of expression,
freedom of assembly, and freedom of association;


3. The definition of "national security" in the Islamic Penal
Code of Iran;


4. The recognition of the rights of minority groups,
particularly of the Baha'i community; and,


5. The cessation of the use of execution and the halt of all
executions of juveniles immediately.




3. (C/NF) Major requested information on U.S. plans for support of
Asian candidates in the 2010 elections to the HRC. She emphasized
Canada's concern about Iran's candidacy and divulged that Canada
plans a "quiet campaign" against Iran this year. Canada will not
name Iran directly in this campaign, according to Major, but will
underscore Canada's commitment to keeping "egregious human rights
violators off the HRC." According to Hiebert, Canada is also
focusing on the four African seats open in 2010 and believes that
there may be more than four candidate countries running for
election, including Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt, although he admitted
that Canada has no knowledge of how the candidates will be selected
by the African bloc.




4. (C/NF) DFAIT has funds available for "human rights promotion"
in Iran and would welcome U.S. input on best use of the funds,
according to Hiebert. Neither Major nor Hiebert had further detail
on the amount of funding available, past use of such funds, and
other funding partners. They promised that DFAIT will compile
fuller information and forward to Embassy ASAP.
JACOBSON