Authorities foil Tehran plot to assassinate former minister

Canadian authorities recently prevented an assassination attempt on 84-year-old former Justice Minister and human rights defender Irwin Cotler. According to the organization he chairs, the Raoul Wallenberg Center, this threat was orchestrated by Iranian agents.

The organization's spokesperson, Brandon Golfman, confirmed that information about imminent threats was received in late October, although no details regarding possible arrests were released.

A supporter of Israel and opponent of Iran

Irwin Cotler, supporter of Israel and Minister of Justice between 2003 and 2006, attracted opposition from the Tehran regime for his active role in the campaign to include the Iranian Revolutionary Guards on the list of terrorist entities in Canada.

Retired from political life since 2015, he continues to campaign for human rights through several associations. He had already benefited from reinforced police protection for more than a year, particularly following the attacks of October 7, 2023 in Israel.

Irwin Cotler appears in US investigation

The Globe and Mail newspaper reports that Irwin Cotler's name also appears in a US investigation into a 2022 assassination attempt against Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and dissident.

The Canadian Parliament unanimously adopted a motion welcoming Irwin Cotler's commitment and condemning “the death threats against him orchestrated by agents of a foreign regime”. Ottawa has severed diplomatic relations with Tehran for more than ten years and last June included the Revolutionary Guards on its blacklist.