Iranian officials are banned from Canada — but this former regime member landed in April

Mahdi Nasiri fto the satellite cognize helium was connected his mode to Canada successful April.

The erstwhile high-profile Iranian authoritative posted a bid of farewell photos — including a goodbye hug — connected Instagram for his much than 250,000 followers and anyone other to see.

He has been successful Canada ever since. 

But now, according to a source, his sanction has been reported to the RCMP. And Canadian information authorities are facing calls from the nationalist to analyse wherefore helium was allowed to participate successful the archetypal spot — and if helium should beryllium kicked out.

"To spot that helium tin easy travel to Canada and successful information observe it, and station pictures from the airdrome saying 'I've arrived,' it sets disconnected alarm bells among a batch of Iranians," said lawyer and quality rights activistic Kaveh Shahrooz.

Nasiri has been described arsenic an important hardliner successful Iran during the 2000s. He didn't contradict his past roles to CBC News, but besides said he's been captious of Iran's authorities for the past six years and present supports the country's wide absorption leader. 

The Trudeau authorities promised successful 2022 to ace down connected existent and erstwhile elder Iranian authorities officials surviving successful Canada aft mounting nationalist unit and information concerns. Iranian Canadians had reported harassment, intimidation and surveillance they believed was tied to Tehran. Canada's spy bureau verified decease threats from Iran were real. And an explosive U.S. indictment revealed an Iranian crippled to kidnap Canadians. 

WATCH | Fighting to support the Iranian authorities out: 

In response, the government designated the enactment of Iran's government, information and quality agencies as inadmissible to Canada successful 2022 for allegedly engaging successful coercion and systemic and gross quality rights violations. That designation expanded past twelvemonth to ban anyone from Canada who served arsenic a elder authoritative with Iran's authorities anytime since June 2003.

But Nasiri is the latest lawsuit raising questions astir however effectual Canada's crackdown is. So far, lone 1 elder Iranian authoritative has been removed from the country. 

Nasiri's relation successful the 2000s

Nasiri is good known for his relation arsenic managing manager of the astir blimpish Iranian newspaper, Kayhan, successful the 1990s — funded by Iran's ultimate leader. 

"He was precise salient successful state-owned media, which is often the level that the authorities itself utilized to spell aft dissidents, to make charges against radical that are outspoken," said Shahrooz, who is captious of the regime.

Nasiri was past appointed to a key role arsenic governmental lawman of the policymaking assembly of Friday imams crossed the state from 2001 to 2005. 

"The Friday prayers are the main level that Iran delivers its talking points and propaganda to supporters, and is simply a occupation entrusted to radical intimately tied to the regime," Shahrooz said. 

"The information that helium had that relation indicates to maine that helium was portion and parcel of this regime."

Nasiri went connected to beryllium appointed a elder typical of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei's bureau successful the United Arab Emirates until 2009, according to Iranian media reports. 

The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) says, broadly, elder Iranian officials who served from 2003 onward are inadmissible to Canada. But it won't accidental if it's looking into Nasiri's case.

Nasiri defended himself erstwhile contacted by CBC News for comment.

"I person repeatedly explained my nonrecreational inheritance successful media interviews and person openly criticized that period," Nasiri said successful a written statement. "There is thing hidden successful my past."

"Moreover, I person ne'er held immoderate military, information oregon quality position. My relation astatine Kayhan paper was journalistic and my presumption wrong the enactment of Friday imams was spiritual and devotional."

Nasiri wouldn't corroborate if his past occupation with Iran's authorities was successful the UAE when asked by CBC News.

Visitor visa issued successful 2023

Nasiri said it lone took him a fewer days successful 2023 — earlier the prohibition was expanded — to get a visitor's visa attached to his passport from the Canadian consulate successful Istanbul. His lad is simply a Canadian national who invited him and his parent to visit, helium said. 

A visitant visa tin beryllium valid for up to 10 years. 

When asked if helium disclosed his clip with Iran's authorities to Canadian officials, Nasiri said helium didn't person to. 

"I was asked lone astir my activities implicit the past 10 years, during which I person held nary authorities positions," Nasiri said.

CBC News asked Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada wherefore it allegedly didn't inquire Nasiri astir his earlier enactment experience. 

The section said it can't remark connected circumstantial cases, but said visa applicants are "carefully assessed." 

"Senior officials taxable to the authorities designation could person their visa cancelled, suffer their impermanent oregon imperishable residence presumption and beryllium removed from Canada," said IRCC spokesperson Jeffrey MacDonald. 

Kelly Sundberg, a criminology prof astatine Mount Royal University who specializes successful borderline security, says it's not astonishing Nasiri wasn't asked much questions. 

He says Canada's migration screening and enforcement is "at a constituent of crisis."

Speaking broadly astir the system, Sundberg said "the CBSA and national departments person been good alert of this neglect and person often intentionally turned a unsighted eye."

Nasiri said he'd "prefer not to answer" if he's facing an migration hearing, but confirmed he's not alert of immoderate CBSA probe into his visa.  

Calls to investigate

Nasiri told CBC News helium understands Iranian Canadians are acrophobic astir existent and erstwhile authorities officials successful Canada. He said "they are justified successful their concerns" and called the Islamic Republic of Iran "a dictatorial and repressive regime."

"However, I person been an progressive professional and, indeed, an hostile of the Islamic Republic for the past six years," Nasiri said successful his connection to CBC News. 

He said helium has a "liberal stance" present and supports Iranian absorption person Reza Pahlavi, a proponent of wide ideology and subordinate of the dynasty that ruled the state earlier the 1979 revolution.

Nasiri has an progressive YouTube leafage wherever helium often posts his interviews captious of the regime, including connected the BBC.

WATCH | How Iran threatens radical successful Canada:

Iranian analyst and writer Babak Taghvaee says helium wants Canadian information officials to look into Nasiri's lawsuit due to the fact that of what helium calls "red flags." 

Taghvaee published an nonfiction with American think-tank the Middle East Forum astir however Iran's authorities officials allegedly rebrand themselves arsenic opponents of the authorities to enactment successful Canada — and named Nasiri arsenic an example. 

He said Nasiri was erstwhile 1 of the "most important hardliners" successful Iran. 

Taghvaee says his relation arsenic an exertion astatine Kayhan suggests helium could person had the highest levels of clearance from Iranian quality and was co-operating oregon adjacent collaborating with them. He besides said his relation with Friday supplication imams was important due to the fact that they are known to person directives from the regime. 

"They person orders to talk astir the circumstantial topics during Friday prayers," helium said. "About politics, astir subject information and economies and thing related to what the authorities wants for the intent of intelligence warfare and propaganda."

Taghvaee says erstwhile Iranian authorities members who are trying to settee successful Western countries commonly knock the authorities and broadside with absorption parties to make grounds for a aboriginal exile oregon asylum case. 

"Sometimes these individuals are acrophobic to get deported oregon arrested. They spell into endurance mode," said Taghvaee, who has been captious of the regime. 

Nasiri says helium has not applied for exile presumption and hopes to instrumentality to Iran soon, but didn't accidental when. 

Regardless of his stance publicly, Vancouver lawyer Mojdeh Shahriari points retired that existing Canadian instrumentality should forestall elder Iranian officials similar Nasiri from ever entering the country.

"Whether oregon not helium has genuinely changed is not for maine to judge, and doesn't truly interest the law," said Shahriari.

'It's astir laughable'

CBSA says since 2022, much than 130 suspected Iranian authorities officials' visas were cancelled, 20 radical were reported inadmissible and 3 cases person made it done migration hearings resulting successful deportation letters. 

"It's astir laughable, unfortunately," said Shahriari.

Shahriari is simply a erstwhile subordinate of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and present runs a grassroots radical she says is investigating much than 375 suspected Iranian authorities members, their families and businesses connected Canadian soil.

She says the CBSA numbers are "miniscule" compared to the grounds Shahriari passed connected to Canadian authorities astir about 100 suspected Iranian officials already successful Canada.

She won't accidental if Nasiri is 1 of them, citing confidentiality. 

"The question is: however connected Earth did these radical get a visa to travel to Canada successful the archetypal place?" she said.