Canadian senator Don Meredith, a Conservative, agreed to act as guest of honor at an Iranian embassy event in Ottawa. Iran has had no ambassador in Canada since Iranian security forces raped and murdered Canadian photographer Zahra Kazemi in 2003. Canada has been a leader in imposing sanctions on Iran to halt Iran's nuclear weapons program. Asked by Maclean's magazine whether his participation in the Iranian embassy event conflicted with his party's policy, Meredith replied:
“Absolutely not. I’m a senator. I’m free to do as a I wish with respect to my engagement with the Iranian community and with the people of Iran,” he told Maclean’s. “Today’s not about politics. Today’s about enriching one another through art.”
