Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is listed terrorist group ‘by association,’ Canadian court rules

The Ontario Superior Court found the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was 'a listed entity' because one of its branches, the Qods Force, was already designated as such.

A judge has ruled that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard is a “terrorist entity” under Canadian law, adding fuel to the debate over how to deal with the branch of Tehran’s armed forces.

The Ontario Superior Court found the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was “a listed entity” because one of its branches, the Qods Force, was already designated as such by Canada.

The ruling was handed down in a case that weighed whether the estate of a late Canadian lawyer was required to pay almost $1 million to an Iranian aviation company alleged to be a front for the IRGC.

The judge dismissed the case because the owner of the Iranian company, Babak Zanjani, was an alleged IRGC financier. The court said paying the debt would have violated Canada’s anti-terrorism laws.

But the judge went further, ruling that not only did the IRGC meet the definition of a terrorist group, it was also a “listed entity by association” because of its relationship to the Qods Force.

Being a listed terrorist entity carries severe consequences. It is illegal to contribute to any activity of a listed group, and its property can be seized and forfeited.

The Liberal government has long faced calls to place the IRGC on Canada’s terrist list, particularly after the Iranian militia shot down a passenger plane carrying 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents.

More recently, the IRGC has allegedly helped Russia conduct drone strikes in Ukraine and participated in the suppression of human rights protesters in Iran.