The official statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon this afternoon.

“Canada condemns the decision of the Iranian authorities to use violence and force against their own people. Although the scale of the casualties is unclear, it is evident that Iranian security forces are using deadly force on citizens and deaths have occurred. Millions of Iranian civilians have taken to the streets in the past week in Tehran and throughout the country protesting what they consider a fraudulent election. The government’s reaction has been to silence the voices of its own people through brutality.

“The Iranian people deserve to have their voices heard, without fear of intimidation or violence. Canada condemns the use of force to stifle dissent, and we continue to call on Iran to fully respect all of its human rights obligations, both in law and in practice, and to conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the fraud allegations. The Government of Canada continues to support freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Iran.”