Canada250505

    OTTAWA, May 24 /CNW Telbec/ - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Honorable Anne McLellan today
announced that the Government of Canada has listed the following entities,
pursuant to the Criminal Code:

    The Mujahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) is an Iranian terrorist organization that was
based in Iraq until recently. This group is determined to overthrow the
current regime in Iran and establish a democratic, socialist Islamic republic.
They support the use of physical force, armed struggle or jihad if necessary.

    The Kahane Chai (Kach) is a group of Jewish terrorists whose overall aim
is to restore the biblical state of Israel. To this end, the group aims to
intimidate and threaten Palestinian families and mount sustained political
pressure on the Israeli government.

    Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the group Hezb-e Islami Gulbuddin (HIG),
espouses an Islamist, anti-Western ideology whose political or religious
objective is to overthrow the administration of Afghan President Hamid Karzai
and to create an Islamist fundamentalist state. Since 2002, Hekmatyar has
reportedly established a base, recruited new members and initiated mobile
training camps with Al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

    The Government of Canada has determined that these entities knowingly
engaged in terrorist activity. This brings to 38 the number of listed entities
under the Criminal Code.
    "Canada is committed to taking all necessary steps as part of the
international effort to bring terrorists to justice and to ensure terrorists
are denied access to funding," said Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan. "The
listing of entities is an important part of that ongoing effort."
    Any person or group listed may have its assets seized and forfeited.
There are severe penalties, including up to ten years imprisonment, for
persons and organizations that deal in the property or finances of any listed
entity. In addition, it is a crime to knowingly participate in, contribute to,
or facilitate the activities of a listed entity.
    Under the Criminal Code, the Governor in Council may list an entity on
the recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness.
    Recommendations made by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness are based on a rigorous evaluation of the facts and the Governor-
in-Council must approve the listing. Once approved, the decision is published
in the Canada Gazette.
    The Act also provides an explicit appeal process, including a provision
that a listed entity can apply to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness to be removed from the list.
    A separate mechanism for listing entities exists pursuant to Canada's
United Nations Suppression of Terrorism Regulations (UNSTR) under the
responsibility of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. These regulations enable
Canada to comply with UN Security Council Resolution 1267 and 1373, which,
among other things, calls on states to freeze terrorist assets without delay.
    Like the Criminal Code, the UNSTR requires all Canadian financial
institutions to freeze the assets of a listed entity and places a prohibition
on fundraising activities. Entities are added to the schedule to the UNSTR
where there are reasonable grounds to believe that the entity is associated
with terrorist activity.
    Regardless of whether an entity is listed under the Criminal Code or the
UNSTR, any individual participating in terrorist activities as defined in the
Criminal Code can be investigated and prosecuted under the statute.
    This news release, names of listed entities under the Criminal Code, and
background information can be found on the Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness Canada website at www.psepc.gc.ca under National Security,
Listing Process.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness announces further action against terrorism
