Peaceful protests in Iran are being met with severe and deadly repression by the Islamic Republic of Iran. Credible and consistent reports document the use of military-grade weapons against unarmed protesters, widespread killings of civilians, including youth and children, arbitrary executions, and the deliberate shutdown of internet and telephone communications. These actions are not isolated incidents but part of a long-standing pattern of suppressing peaceful dissent and civil society, raising urgent and grave human rights concerns.

Canadian Academics and Healthcare Professionals Call for Immediate Action to End State Violence Against Protesters in Iran

To The Right Honourable Mark Carney

Prime Minister of Canada,

We, the undersigned academics, researchers, and members of the healthcare community in Canada, write in response to the ongoing and deadly repression of peaceful protests in Iran by the Islamic Republic of Iran.

In recent weeks, credible and consistent reports have documented the indiscriminate use of military-grade weapons against unarmed protesters, the mass killing of civilians—including youth and children—arbitrary executions, and the deliberate shutdown of internet and telephone communications. These acts are not isolated or exceptional. They represent the continuation of a long-established pattern through which the Iranian state has sought to suppress peaceful dissent and dismantle civil society.

This pattern has been visible for decades. The violent suppression of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement and the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, followed by the absence of genuine accountability, stand as clear and recent examples.

In light of the severity and urgency of the situation, we call on the Government of Canada to act decisively by:

using all available diplomatic and legal mechanisms to press for an immediate end to violence against protesters;
working with international partners to ensure accountability for those responsible for serious human rights violations in Iran;
publicly and unequivocally supporting the right of the Iranian people to peaceful protest and unrestricted access to information.
Continued restraint or purely symbolic responses enable further loss of life and normalize grave violations of human rights. Canada has both the capacity and the responsibility to play a principled and effective role at this critical moment.

Initial Signatories (Faculty & Healthcare Professionals, Canada):

Dr.  Morteza Abedinifard
SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow
Schulich School of Music, McGill University

Dr. Mostafa Abedinifard
Assistant Professor of Modern Persian Literature & Culture
Department of Asian Studies, University of British Columbia

Dr. Michael Frishkopf
Professor of Music
University of Alberta

Dr. Arman Hemmati
Associate Professor
Dept. Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta

Dr. Feridoun Karimi-Busheri

Oncology Scientist
University of Alberta

Dr. Mohammad Niksirat
Associated lecturer
University of Alberta

Dr. Alireza Nouri, 
Professor, Petroleum Engineering
Director, Sand Control and Formation Damage Lab, University of Alberta

Dr. Siavash Rokni
Chargé de cours, Faculté de communication
Université du Québec à Montréal

Dr. Hamid Samavat
Radiation Safety Department, Diagnostic Imaging
Alberta Heath Services