Ottawa, ON – Matt Jeneroux, Conservative Member of Parliament for Edmonton Riverbend, and Richard Martel, Conservative Shadow Minister for Sport, issued the following statement on Canada Soccer’s upcoming ‘friendly’ soccer match against Iran:

“Today, Conservatives are calling for Canada Soccer to cancel their upcoming match against Iran.

“Hosting the Iranian national soccer team as victims of Flight PS752 are still suffering and seeking compensation is reprehensible and will only further serve to legitimize the Iranian regime.

“Paying the team $400,000 as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – which the House of Commons has called on the Trudeau government to list as a terrorist entity – has directly and indirectly taken over sports clubs in Iran over the past 20 years is simply unacceptable.

“While Conservatives are extremely proud and supportive of our national soccer team and Canada Soccer’s programs from coast-to-coast-to-coast, allowing this game to proceed as families continue to grieve, and as those responsible for the attack have yet to be held accountable for their actions, is entirely backwards. 

“Conservatives will always stand up for the victims of Flight PS752 and the Iranian people against the authoritarian Iranian regime. We will always condemn Iran’s state-funded terrorism and human rights abuses, and continue to call for Magnitsky sanctions to be imposed on those responsible for the downing of flight PS752.”