Canada expresses support for people protesting in Iran

The Canadian government has expressed support for people protesting in Iran on Monday as mass demonstrations enter their fifth day across the country.

“Canada is encouraged by the Iranian people who are exercising their basic right to protest peacefully,” Global Affairs Canada said in a written statement that also called on Iranian authorities to “honor democratic and human rights”.

“Canada will continue to support the fundamental rights of Iranians, including the right to freedom of expression,” the statement added.

The largest protests to strike Iran in nearly a decade continued unabated Sunday, despite a government move to block access to Instagram and a popular messaging app used by activists to organize, with even President Hassan Rouhani acknowledging the public's anger over the Islamic Republic's flagging economy.