Ex-Canadian minister Irwin Cotler says he was alleged target of Iran assassination plot

Canada’s former justice minister has confirmed to the BBC he was the target of a recent Iranian assassination attempt that was foiled.

Irwin Cotler’s office said he had been informed by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of an Iranian-backed attempt on his life in late October.

Mr Cotler, 84, is a long-time critic of Iran, and previously called for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to be classified as a terrorist organisation.

The BBC has reached out to the Iranian foreign ministry for comment.

The alleged plot against Mr Cotler comes after the US laid charges against a man who is accused of trying to assassinate President elect-Donald Trump on behalf of Iran.

The Globe and Mail newspaper in Canada first reported the alleged plot against Mr Cotler on Monday morning, citing an unnamed source. Mr Cotler’s office then confirmed the report to the BBC.

The RCMP told the BBC it does not disclose details about its protective measures, or confirm who the individuals are who may receive protection.

According to the Globe and Mail, Mr Cotler was informed by the RCMP on 26 October that he faced an imminent threat of assassination within 48 hours from Iranian agents.

Authorities had knowledge of two suspects in relation to the plot, the newspaper reported, but it is not known if they were arrested or fled the country. Mr Cotler was advised on Thursday that the threat against him had lowered, the paper reported.

Mr Cotler, who is Jewish, is said to have been under 24/7 protection by the RCMP for more than a year since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack against Israel.

He had been flagged by Canadian intelligence as a high-profile target of Iran, who is a backer of Hamas. Mr Cotler was provided with bulletproof vehicles, heavily armed officers and other security measures for protection.

Mr Cotler, who is now retired, was a member of parliament in Canada from 1999 to 2015. He served as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General under the Liberal government of former Prime Minister Paul Martin from 2003 until 2006.

He is an outspoken critic of the regime in Tehran, and had previously tabled a motion in Canadian parliament in 2013 asking that the IRGC be sanctioned and designated as a terrorist entity. Canada officially listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity in June of this year.

Mr Cotler has represented Iranian political prisoners and has strong ties to Israel.

His daughter, Michal Cotler-Wunsh, is an Israeli politician and diplomat and served as a member of the Israeli parliament.

Earlier this month, US authorities had arrested an Afghan national in connection with an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate incoming president Trump before he was elected.

Farhad Shakeri, 51, is alleged to have been tasked with “providing a plan” to kill Trump, according to an indictment against him by the US Department of Justice.

Mr Shakeri has not been arrested and is believed to be in Iran.

Two others were arrested in the US over an alleged plot to kill an American journalist who was an outspoken critic of Iran.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has responded to the allegations, saying they are “completely baseless.”

In a statement, Mr Baghaei said similar accusations of attempts to assassinate US presidents had been made in the past, which Iran denied and went on to be false. He added that repeating such claims risked “further complicating the issues between the US and Iran”.