The Federal Court of Canada has rejected Salman Samani’s request to halt his deportation from Canada. Samani served as deputy minister and spokesperson for the Iranian regime’s Interior Ministry during the regime’s bloody crackdown on the November 2019 protests.
According to the legal publication Law360 Canada, the judge ruled that “Canada’s public interest in preventing the country from becoming a safe haven for perpetrators of repression” outweighs the claims raised by Samani.
During the proceedings, Samani argued that he would face serious risks if returned to Iran and even said that suicide was a possibility. With his request denied, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) can proceed with enforcing his deportation order.
According to the CBSA, Samani held various government positions from 2007 to 2021 and demonstrated “commitment and loyalty to the regime” throughout his tenure.
The CBSA also stated that, as spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, Samani played a role in promoting the Iranian regime’s official narrative and countering opposing views.
After leaving the government in August 2021, Samani entered Canada on a tourist visa, and his deportation case was heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada in 2024.
The rejection of the request to halt the deportation has cleared the legal path for Canadian authorities to remove the former Iranian regime official from Canada.
