SDIR meeting 6 · 2025-12-01 — Committee Evidence — LegisWatch

Summary

The Subcommittee on International Human Rights (SDIR) met to study the cases of political prisoners and human rights defenders, hearing from the Hon. Irwin Cotler, Founder and International Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, and Veronika Sheldagaieva, representing Voices of Children.

Irwin Cotler described a historical inflection moment marked by a collaborative axis of authoritarianism involving Russia, China, and Iran, and expressed concern that Canada is not at the forefront of human rights advocacy. He detailed the cases of several political prisoners, including Dr. Ahmadreza Djalali in Iran, who faces imminent execution; Vladimir Kara-Murza in Russia, who survived assassination attempts and imprisonment; and Jimmy Lai and Dr. Wang Bingzhang in China, both held in solitary confinement. Cotler recommended that the committee hold hearings on democracy promotion and protection, and emphasized the need to operationalize the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, appointing special prosecutors and judges. He also highlighted the threat of transnational repression and assassination, noting that CSIS has reported Iran targeting Canadians, and urged a critical mass of advocacy in response.

Veronika Sheldagaieva, a high school student from Kherson, Ukraine, testified about her experience of living under Russian occupation for eight months, describing forced militarization of children, bans on the Ukrainian language and media, and the silencing of protests through violence. She spoke of her non-violent resistance, such as tying a yellow ribbon from her Ukrainian flag at her school, and the importance of online connections for maintaining mental health and hope. Sheldagaieva recommended continued international support for Ukrainian civil society and mental health services, and stressed that peace must reflect the self-determination of people in occupied territories, not just territorial decisions made by others. She disagreed with any notion that occupation could be a form of peace, asserting that Ukrainian identity and resistance will persist.

A member asked about the balance between public pressure and quiet diplomacy; Cotler responded that it starts with private diplomacy but often requires public commitment to succeed. Another member asked about the role of technology and international institutions; Cotler noted that while there are more remedies available than in the past, misinformation and disinformation pose new challenges, and parliamentarians can use tools like take-note debates and UN special procedures. A member asked Sheldagaieva what she would say to Vladimir Putin; she replied that no amount of coercion will make Ukrainians give up. Sheldagaieva also said that after the war, she wants to work in Ukraine building spaces for people to learn how to advocate for their rights.

The committee agreed to hold the special meeting recognizing champions of human rights, with members noting the non-partisan nature of the issue. No procedural debate, motions, or votes were recorded.

AI-generated summary — may contain errors; verify against the official evidence.

Witnesses · 2

Hon. Irwin Cotler

Founder and International Chair, Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights

Opening remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I'm very happy to be here and to be part of the common cause that brings us together. I'm delighted to join Nazanin and Veronika, who are warriors for both human rights in Iran and justice for Ukraine, respectively, and I look forward to their testimony. I would add that I regard this committee, as I said when I was an MP and reaffirm today, as being one of the most important—if not the most important—parliamentary committees involved in the struggle for human rights, the pursuit of justice and the defence of democracy. Five years ago, I spoke of a resurgent global authoritarianism, backsliding of democracies, assaults on human rights and political prisoners as a looking glass. Today, we meet at a historical inflection moment in which we are witnessing a concerted, intensifying and collaborative axis of authoritarianism, with Russia, China, Iran and their proxies. We are seeing an increase not only of the backsliding of democracies but also of polarization within and between democracies. The United States, formerly the linchpin of the rules-based international order, has now—under the Trump administration—been upending the transnational alliance and the…

Full testimony ↗

Veronika Sheldagaieva

Voices of Children

Opening remarks

Hello. My name is Veronika Sheldagaieva. I am from Ukraine, specifically from the city of Kherson, which has been my home city since the start of my life. Unfortunately, it has been occupied for eight months. It's now a city on the front line. I'm really proud of the fact that I can speak here today. I am really grateful for this opportunity to be here. Now, more than at any time before, the control of the occupied territories is big and horrifying. Children my age, 17-year-olds and 18-year-olds, are becoming victims of forced militarization. People are becoming controlled by messengers, which they must put...and controlled through phones in occupied territories. The Ukrainian language, Ukrainian media and anything connected to helping people, such as volunteering, are politically forbidden. You could be tortured for this. At this moment, when people are speaking about occupation as a form of peace and a form of...living occupation that is stopping war in Ukraine, I feel it's so important to speak to an international audience and make them aware of the human rights violations that are happening there and that are directly connected to my own story and my personal experience. I…