Ottawa joins countries condemning Iranian regime for killing protesters

Protesters participate in a demonstration in Berlin in support of the nationwide mass protests in Iran against the government on Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

OTTAWA — As questions mount about the stability of the Iranian regime, Canada has condemned Iran for killing and arresting citizens protesting the government and the high cost of living.

In a joint statement issued with Australia and the European Union, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand urged Iran to stop using “excessive and lethal force” against protesters.

“We commend the bravery of the Iranian people as they stand up for their dignity and their fundamental right to peaceful protest,” the Friday statement reads.

“We strongly condemn the killing of protesters, the use of violence, arbitrary arrests, and intimidation tactics by the Iranian regime against its own people.”

The statement noted at least 40 people had died at the hands of Iran’s security forces, though activists have said the number of deaths is more than 10 times higher.

The protests, which started on Dec. 28, are being driven by the rising cost of living in Iran, caused in part by currency volatility. They have morphed into calls for Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s resignation; some have even called for the restoration of the monarchy overthrown in 1979.

Large protests have erupted throughout the country, including in deeply conservative areas. They follow previous waves of mass protests — such as those triggered by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini, a young woman who died in police custody after being arrested for not wearing her head scarf properly.

Analysts say the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces and last June’s American bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities have ratcheted up pressure on the regime, which was already dealing with water and electricity shortages and recently cut off internet access.

Prime Minister Mark Carney posted Friday that reports of violence by agents of Iran’s regime are “profoundly concerning” and urged the country “to allow for freedom of expression and peaceful assembly without fear of reprisal.”

On Monday, in his own statement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pointed to protests in Canada against the regime.

“Conservatives stand unequivocally with the people of Iran in their fight for freedom against the murderous Khamenei dictatorship,” he said, adding Tehran is responsible for “savage crackdowns, executions, and decades of brutal repression.”

Conservative MPs and groups supporting Israel have posted frequently about the protests and have suggested the Islamic Republic is on the brink of collapse.

Canada cut diplomatic ties with Iran in 2012 and Ottawa issued a terrorism designation in 2024 for a branch of Iran’s army, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which Canada says has taken part in the violent crackdown on protesters.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2026.