By Canadian Press

Newly sanctioned Iranians include Toronto gym denizen

Dec 2, 2022 | 9:26 AM

OTTAWA — Canada is sanctioning more Iranian officials, including a senior military official spotted earlier this year at a Toronto-area gym.

Morteza Talaei, Tehran’s former police chief and a former general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, is among four Iranians and five entities banned from doing business with Canada or accessing assets located in Canada.

Talaei was photographed working out at a Richmond Hill gym earlier this year, sparking criticism from diaspora groups who wondered why he was issued a visa.

Other individuals facing sanctions include a military commander, a former minister who has helped censor the internet as well as an interrogator for the notorious Evin Prison.

Canada has also put sanctions on an Iranian commercial airline it accuses of sending drones to Russia and three companies that help develop drone technology.

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Ottawa has also sanctioned state-owned Javan News Agency, which it accuses of disseminating antisemitic messaging.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 2, 2022.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press