The regime wants to reconsider its ties with Canada

Some senior members of the conservative ruled parliament urged the country to review its diplomatic and commercial ties with Canada. Canada has already frozen its bilateral ties with Iran in protest against the regimes refusal to investigate the death of Zahra Kazemi. Zahra Kazemi was arrested while taking photographs of mourning mothers outside the notorious Evin prison, where most of the Iranian dissidents are held. Zahra Kazemi was beaten to death during the interrogations in July 2003.

The parliaments National Security and Foreign policy committee said that the Iranian foreign ministry should reconsider the level of ties with Canada. In a statement the committee said;

"Canada... is shedding crocodile tears for the death of Zahra Kazemi, which has been condemned by the Iranian government, with the judiciary firmly following up the case."

But the Iranian government first said that Kazemi died of a stroke, then admitted that she had been beaten and finally said that the photographer had just fainted and hit her head. Kazemis family in Canada has tried to get her body taken home to Canada, but the Iranian government denied the request and quickly buried her. Last year the Teheran judiciary acquitted a intelligence officer who was accused of her murder. Kazemis lawyers have appealed the verdict and demands a new investigation.

The parliament committee also brought up the case of Keyvan Tabesh who was killed by Canadian police after attacking the police with a machete. But the committee demanded that the foreign ministry should "seriously follow up the case relating to the murder of Tabesh, who was unjustly killed by Canadian police".