Well Done Canada!

I am very pleased with the government of Canada's announcement today about their decision to expel Iranian diplomats in Canada as personae non gratae and close the Canadian Embassy in Iran and the Iranian Embassy in Canada.

I hope this sends a strong message of deterrence to Iran's tyrannical regime that the violations against human rights of its own citizens and intimidating Iranian-Canadians in Canada will not be tolerated. Nor will its incitement to genocide or support for international terrorism go without impunity.

I hope this strong stance by the Canadian government provides hope to freedom loving Iranians that Canada stands in solidarity with them.

I urge the Iranian regime to immediately release imprisoned Iranian-Canadians Saeed Malekpour, Hamid Ghassemi-Shall and Hossein Derakhshan as a show of good faith towards improving their abysmal human rights record.

While Iranians may worry that they will no longer be able to obtain visas to enter Canada, I have been reassured by the Canadian government that applicants will still be able to go through the Canadian embassy in Ankara, Turkey. I recognize that in the short term this will create challenges and inconveniences; however I believe these measures are appropriate to achieve the long term goal of a democratic Iran.

What Canada has done along with courageous peace loving Iranians everywhere is step up the pressure to bring about postive change for freedom we all desire inside Iran. I remain committed to that change.

Nazanin Afshin-Jam