MP Bezan Dismisses Iranian reports of a Canadian Parliamentary Visit to Iran
1/13/2014
Ottawa, ON- James
Bezan, Member of Parliament for Selkirk-Interlake, issued the following
statement addressing the Iranian news reports of a request by a
Canadian Parliamentary delegation to visit the Islamic Republic:
“Reports
coming out of Iran claiming that an Iranian-Canadian Parliamentary
Friendship Group has requested permission for a group of Canadian MPs to
visit Tehran are completely false. This report was even perpetuated by
the Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Marzieh Afkham.
“These
reports are entirely fabricated. There is no existence of a Canada-Iran
Parliamentary Friendship Group here in the Parliament of Canadian.
There is also no request from Parliament for an official visit to
Tehran.
“As
a matter of fact and contrary to this Iranian news report, the only
parliamentary group that exists in Canada is the Canadian
Parliamentarians for Human Rights and Democracy in Iran, of which I am a
proud co-chair. I, along with the members of this parliamentary group,
would never entertain the idea of legitimizing the current Iranian
regime with a visit to Tehran. The Islamic Republic of Iran continues
their attack on human rights violations, persecute political activists,
sponsors of terrorism, refuse to recognize the State of Israel and
continue to aspirate to create nuclear weapons.
“Again,
I must reiterate that these news reports are a hoax perpetuated by the
Iranian Government. There is no existence of a Canada-Iran Parliamentary
Friendship Group and there has been no request from the Parliament of
Canada for an official visit to Tehran.”
