Liberal International’s President, Hakima El Haite, and Astrid Thors, Chair of LI’s Human Rights Committee, are appalled by reports that Iran allegedly plotted to assassinate Irwin Cotler, a noted Canadian human-rights advocate and vocal critic of the clerical regime.
Liberal International has had the privilege of working with Hon. Irwin Cotler, who is a highly valued member of LI’s Human Rights Committee.
We are grateful that Canadian authorities have been vigilant and that the attempt on his life was recently foiled by law-enforcement agencies.
The threat directed against Irwin Cotler by Iranian actors highlights the lengths to which authoritarian regimes are willing to go and their willingness to engage in reprehensible actions. However, it also underscores the impact of Cotler’s fearless and tireless work for oppressed peoples worldwide. Tragically, he is not alone in facing such transnational intimidation, as other human rights defenders continue to confront similar threats globally.
Reports suggest that Cotler has been targeted by Iran since 2008 for his global campaign to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist entity. In addition to his advocacy for Iranian political prisoners, he is a staunch supporter of Israel.
In 2015, Mr. Cotler founded the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, a Montreal-based organization committed to promoting human rights, advocating for political prisoners, and combatting injustice worldwide. The center is named in honor of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved 100,000 Jews during the Second World War by issuing them diplomatic passports and sheltering them in safe houses.
