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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 209

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 8, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 209 - Jun/8/23
Mr. Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard, CPC)
  • Jun/8/23 2:01:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urgently raise the case of the persecution of journalist Niloofar Hamedi. Hamedi is the 22-year-old Iranian journalist who broke the story of the now famous Kurdish woman, Zhina Mahsa Amini, her beating and murder at the hands of the morality police in Tehran. For her professionalism and journalistic ethics, she has been charged with “colluding with hostile powers”, a charge that carries the death penalty. She is now subject to a show trial behind closed doors, while her lawyer is prevented from expressing any defence on her behalf. Niloofar's life hangs in the balance. The Iranian regime has been executing political prisoners every week, in addition to its continued intimidation and bullying of its political opponents. The Iranian regime has the blood of thousands on its hands, of brave women and girls, men and boys who have taken to the streets in opposition to the brutality, the evil and the blood-soaked hands of the autocrats in Tehran. Niloofar is a brave journalist, a credit to her profession. I invite all parliamentarians to join me in calling for the Iranian regime to immediately end the show trial and set her free.
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