MONTREAL: The Canadian government announced new sanctions Wednesday against several senior Iranian officials and state-run entities “for their role in the Iranian regime’s brutal repression of its population.”

The sanctions target five senior Iranian security and government officials and five state-run entities, the foreign ministry said in a statement, without providing specifics.

“These individuals and entities have contributed to Iran’s efforts to suppress dissent and restrict fundamental freedoms of Iran’s population, including through digital surveillance, censorship, unlawful violence, arbitrary detention and intimidation,” the ministry said.

A protest movement in Iran sparked in late December by grievances over high living costs rapidly evolved into widespread anti-government demonstrations that peaked on January 8 and 9.

Iranian authorities reported more than 3,000 deaths from the unrest, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel.

Rights groups based abroad put the toll higher and accused security forces of firing at demonstrators.

Massive protests also erupted in Iran in September 2022 following the death in custody of Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini, who had been arrested for allegedly violating strict dress rules for women.

Canada says it has imposed 24 rounds of sanctions against 237 Iranian individuals and 265 entities since 2002.