Nov 18: Canadian human rights advocate Irwin Cotler, a former Liberal justice minister and outspoken critic of Iran, was reportedly the target of a plot to assassinate him by Iranian agents. The foiled plot was first revealed by The Globe and Mail and later confirmed by Cotler’s office. According to the sources, Cotler was made aware of the imminent threat to his life at the end of October.
Although Cotler, who founded the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, has not commented publicly on the matter, his office confirmed the news. The Canadian government, including Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, is aware of the situation, but no specific details have been shared about any ongoing security measures due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Experts, including former CSIS director Dan Stanton, expressed that Cotler’s prominent role as a critic of Iran made him a likely target for the regime, which has a history of attempting to silence its critics. Stanton noted that such assassination attempts, often involving foreign agents or proxies, have become more common and can easily be disrupted if authorities are alerted.
