Canadian citizen died ‘at the hands of the Iranian authorities,’ Anand says

A Canadian citizen has died in Iran “at the hands of the Iranian authorities” amid widespread anti-government protests in the country, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said in a social media post Thursday.

“Our consular officials are in contact with the victim’s family in Canada and my deepest condolences are with them at this time,” Anand wrote on X.

“Peaceful protests by the Iranian people - asking that their voices be heard in the face of the Iranian regime’s repression and ongoing human rights violations - has led the regime to flagrantly disregard human life.”

Anand said the ongoing hostility towards demonstrators must end, and condemned Iran’s government for its treatment of protestors, calling for an “an immediate end to the Iranian regime’s violence.”

The death was first confirmed to CTV News by Global Affairs Canada in an emailed statement Wednesday night. The statement said that no further information is being disclosed about the victim’s identity due to privacy considerations.

The Iranian government’s latest crackdown on nationwide demonstrations, which began roughly two weeks ago, has left more than 2,500 people dead, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency.

The Associated Press reported on Tuesday that it was unable to independently assess death toll figures, as communications in and out of Iran have largely been cut off, and Iran’s government has not offered an official number of casualties.

The reported death toll is by far the largest compared to other rounds of protests and demonstrations in Iran in recent decades. The latest violence is reminiscent of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that brought the current regime to power.

“Canada strongly condemns the horrific killing of protesters in Iran,” Global Affairs spokesperson John Babcock said in the statement.

“We have repeatedly called on the Iranian authorities to stop the persecution of its own population, and end repressive tactics including violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation. Canadians in Iran should leave now if they can do so safely.”

While many commercial airlines have suspended flights in and out of the country, land borders with Armenia and Turkiye remain open, and Canadian passport holders do not require a visa to enter either country, Global Affairs said.

As of Wednesday, there were a combined 3,054 Canadian citizens and permanent residents registered as being in Iran, according to the statement.

Israel travel risk level updated

On Wednesday evening, the Canadian government said it also updated its travel risk level to Israel to “avoid non-essential travel,” due to the “unpredictable security situation and ongoing tensions in the region.”

The government said that as tensions remain high throughout the Middle East, hostilities could resume “with little or no warning.”

In June, the Israeli military carried out air strikes on nuclear and military facilities in Iran, which led to retaliatory Iranian missile strikes into Israel. Tensions between the longtime rivals remain despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that ended the 12-day conflict.