Canada announced Monday that it has barred senior Iranian government officials from entering Canada. Canada’s Border Services Agency made the announcement in support of Iranian protests across Iran, according to a press release.

Canadian Minister of Public Security Marco Mendicino announced Monday that Canada has designated Iran as a regime that has engaged in terrorism and gross and systematic human rights violations, the statement said.

“This means that tens of thousands of Iranian regime officials, including many members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, are now unacceptable in Canada,” the statement said.

Now entering its third month of protests, Iran has taken to the streets in the aftermath of Mahsa Amini’s death, calling for social and political change despite the government’s crackdown and brutal arrests.

Canadian officials clarified that senior Iranian officials barred from entering the North American country include Iranian cabinet members, senior diplomats, ambassadors, senior military and intelligence officials, members of the judiciary, heads of state and senior public officials, the communication said.

“Perpetrators of gross and systematic human rights violations are not welcome in this country,” Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser said, according to the statement.

The new rules apply to individuals who are senior officials any time on or after November 15, 2019, the agency said.

In addition, current and former senior Iranian officials already in Canada could be investigated and also expelled from the country, the statement said.

“While the Iranian people continue to put pressure on their government and hold it accountable, the government of Canada is taking steps to prevent senior members of the Iranian regime from finding safe haven in Canada,” the statement said.

“As the Iranian people continue to stand up and demand their rights, Canada stands with them. The Iranian regime’s brutal actions against these demonstrations – the killing, beating and arrest of protesters – once again highlight the blatant disregard for human rights.”

Canada has gone so far as to sanction Iranian citizens under Canada’s Special Economic Measures Act, which sanctions individuals for serious human rights violations, making them “unacceptable in Canada,” according to the statement.

The law permits Canada to take economic action against “certain persons in circumstances where an international organization of countries or associations of countries of which Canada is a member requests its members to do so, serious violations of peace and security have occurred, serious and systematic violations of human rights human rights violations have been committed in a foreign country, or significant acts of corruption have been committed involving nationals of foreign countries,” according to the Special Economic Measures Act.

Canada has also sanctioned 52 Iranian citizens since late September when protests broke out in Iran.

“Canada will continue to work closely with our partners, including the US, UK and Europe, and will use all available diplomatic tools to respond to the Iranian regime’s aggression, both in Iran and abroad.” .