The Conservative Party of Canada has formally requested that the federal government add the Iraqi militia Kata'ib Hezbollah to the national registry of designated terrorist entities, citing the group's alleged involvement in recent attacks on Canadian soil. The official demand follows United States Department of Justice filings linking a commander of the group to a March 2026 shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto and an attack on a Canadian synagogue.
Under current Canadian statutory regulations, Kata'ib Hezbollah is not designated as a terrorist entity. This regulatory absence limits the specific statutory mechanisms available to Canadian law enforcement and financial institutions, which are automatically triggered when a group is formally listed under the Criminal Code. As of August 3, 2026, the federal government has not publicly responded to the official opposition's request.
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- Current Statutory Status: The Regulations Establishing a List of Entities (SOR/2002-284) under the Canadian Criminal Code includes the Lebanese group "Hizballah" but currently excludes the distinct Iraqi-based militia "Kata'ib Hezbollah."
- Official Opposition Demand: The Conservative Party of Canada launched an official platform campaign on August 2, 2026, demanding the federal government immediately list the group to enable asset seizures and travel restrictions.
- U.S. Federal Charges: On May 15, 2026, the United States Department of Justice unsealed a criminal complaint against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi—followed by a grand jury indictment on May 28—linking the senior Kata'ib Hezbollah commander to nearly 20 international attacks, including two executed in Canada.
- Federal Stance: Public Safety Canada and the office of Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree have not issued a formal statement addressing the Conservative petition or indicating whether the group is currently under regulatory review.
The official statement from the Conservative Party characterizes Kata'ib Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy organization directly connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). In a public platform release published on their official website, the party emphasized the group's connection to direct actions within Canadian borders as the primary justification for the statutory designation.
"Whereas Kata’ib Hezbollah, an Iran backed terrorist proxy linked to the IRGC, has been implicated in directing attacks against Canadian targets, including the United States Consulate in Toronto and a Canadian synagogue... Therefore, we the undersigned stand with Conservatives in calling on the Liberal government to immediately list Kata’ib Hezbollah as a terrorist entity, and enforce Canada’s anti-terrorism laws to keep Canadians safe."
— Conservative Party of Canada, Official Statement and Petition, Accessed August 3, 2026
The United States Department of State designated Kata'ib Hezbollah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in 2009. The May 15, 2026 unsealing of a criminal complaint against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi formalized U.S. allegations regarding the group's operations in North America.
"Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, a commander for the terrorist organization, Kata’ib Hizballah, faces serious charges for his role in numerous attacks against U.S. interests across the globe, including his efforts to kill on U.S. soil."
— Todd Blanche, Acting U.S. Attorney General, Department of Justice Press Release, May 15, 2026
The criminal complaint—and the eight-count federal indictment returned on May 28, 2026—explicitly alleges that Al-Saadi and his associates planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility for at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe. The Department of Justice record further attributes two specific attacks in Canada to the group, noting they were carried out under the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, an entity which the DOJ formally identifies as a component of Kata’ib Hezbollah.
A live review of the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities (SOR/2002-284) on the federal Justice Laws Website confirms that while the Lebanese-based "Hizballah" (alongside aliases such as Hezbollah and Hizbullah) has been registered, Kata'ib Hezbollah is absent from the schedule.
Under Section 83.05 of the Canadian Criminal Code, the Governor in Council may, on the recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety, place an entity on the terrorist list if there are reasonable grounds to believe it has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in, or facilitated a terrorist activity.
A formal listing in Canada triggers immediate compliance obligations under Section 83.08 of the Criminal Code. Canadian financial institutions are required to immediately freeze any property owned or controlled by the designated group. It also establishes a criminal offence under Section 83.18 for any person in Canada or Canadian citizen abroad to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by the terrorist group, or to knowingly participate in or contribute to any activity of the group.
Despite the U.S. charges unsealed in May and the formal request from the official opposition, the Canadian federal government has not publicly articulated a position on the designation. Neither Public Safety Canada nor the Minister of Public Safety has published a response confirming whether an intelligence review of Kata'ib Hezbollah has been initiated by Canadian security agencies to meet the legal threshold required for a Governor in Council listing.
Context & Timeline
- 2009: The United States officially designates Kata'ib Hezbollah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), enacting stringent financial and travel restrictions against its members.
- June 19, 2024: The Canadian government adds the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—the entity the Conservative Party identifies as the primary backer of Kata'ib Hezbollah—to the Regulations Establishing a List of Entities.
- March 2026: A shooting occurs at the United States Consulate in Toronto. This incident is one of two Canadian attacks later attributed to Kata'ib Hezbollah operatives by American federal investigators.
- May 15, 2026: The U.S. Department of Justice unseals a criminal complaint against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, formally linking a Kata'ib Hezbollah commander to the Canadian attacks.
- May 28, 2026: The U.S. Department of Justice announces an eight-count grand jury indictment against Al-Saadi in the Southern District of New York.
- August 2, 2026: The Conservative Party of Canada issues a formal demand for the Canadian government to mirror the long-standing U.S. designation and add Kata'ib Hezbollah to the Criminal Code's terrorism schedule. Public Safety Canada issues no immediate response.
