Conservatives Table Bill to Extend Sanctions to Relatives of Human Rights Violators

MP Bezan says the changes to the sanctions regime will allow Canada to better target rights violators in China and Russia, and address transnational repression.

Conservative MP James Bezan attends a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Sept. 16, 2025. The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld

Conservative MP James Bezan has introduced legislation to extend Canada’s sanctions regime to cover the immediate family members of international human rights violators and to address transnational repression.

Bezan said the changes are needed so that “Canada is never a safe haven for those that are trying to hide their illicit wealth and their families while they’re committing ... human rights violations against their own citizens, as well as creating destabilizing impacts in regions like the war in Ukraine, the ongoing aggression against Taiwan.”