Canada sanctions 10 Iranian officials and organizations over internet censorship and repression
Canada has imposed sanctions on five Iranian officials and five organizations accused of facilitating internet censorship, digital surveillance and human rights abuses, targeting Tehran's efforts to restrict online freedoms and suppress dissent.
OTTAWA, Sept. 23, 2026 – Global Affairs Canada announced the new designations under the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations, targeting individuals and organizations involved in restricting freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, both online and offline.
The five newly sanctioned entities include the Iranian Audiovisual Media Regulatory Authority (SATRA), which operates under the state broadcaster; the Working Group for Determining Instances of Criminal Content (WGDICC), a government censorship authority; and the Seraj Cyberspace Organization, established by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Two Iranian technology companies, Douran Group and Yaftar Pazhohan Pishtaz Rayanesh Limited Company, were also designated.
The five individuals include Interior Minister and senior IRGC commander Eskandar Momeni; Davoud Moazami Goudarzi, head of Greater Tehran's Cyber Police; Rasoul Jalili, a member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace; Mohsen Fathizadeh, head of the Protection and Intelligence Organization of the Law Enforcement Forces; and Ruhollah Momen Nasab, head of the Headquarters for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and a member of the Supreme Council of Cyberspace.
The measures generally prohibit Canadians and persons in Canada from dealing in property belonging to listed individuals and entities, providing financial or related services to them, or making goods available to them. The designations also carry implications for financial institutions and businesses screening transactions, counterparties and ownership relationships for exposure to Canadian sanctions.
Canada said Iran has increasingly restricted internet connectivity and mobile services since 2009 to control information, conceal human rights violations and prevent protesters from organizing. These restrictions intensified during the Woman, Life, Freedom movement in September 2022 and during mass demonstrations beginning in December 2025, when authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown lasting approximately three weeks.
The latest designations follow amendments introduced in October 2022 to target Iranian officials and organizations responsible for gross and systematic human rights violations. Canada further expanded its sanctions framework in March 2025 to permit the designation of current and former senior Iranian government officials beyond the IRGC leadership.
Following the September measures, Canada reported that 237 Iranian individuals and 265 Iranian entities were subject to sanctions across several Canadian regimes, including those targeting Iran, Russia, Hamas-related terrorism and foreign officials responsible for corruption or serious human rights violations.
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