Eshagh Galibaf studied at a university in Australia and vacationed in Milan, Paris, Amsterdam, Zurich, Dubai and Istanbul before setting his sights on Canada.
The son of a staunch member of the Iranian regime that has killed thousands of protesters and is now firing missiles at its neighbors.
Although his father, Iran’s parliamentary speaker, has said the Islamic republic will defend itself “until its last breath,” his son appears to have avoided mandatory military service.
Documents obtained by Global News show that Eshagh was asked for any armed forces duty details when he applied to immigrate to Canada.
He wrote, “None.”
In response to the US and Israeli war, Iran’s regime is suppressing its opposition and targeting the Gulf states, where its sons and daughters are living more comfortably.
They are in North America and Europe, and include the children of some outspoken defenders of the Iranian government.
It was a sore point among many Iranians who blamed the regime during protests in Tehran in January, chanting “Their child is in Canada, our child is in jail,” according to a video of the incident.
High-level government officials themselves have moved abroad, including more than two dozen who have allegedly moved to Canada, some with their children.
The Canada Border Services Agency has been trying to deport them since 2022, with little success. Only one has been removed from the country so far, though the rest are facing pending trials.
Following a request from Global News, the Immigration and Refugee Board on Tuesday identified the latest CBSA to send for deportation hearings, Abbas Omidi.
But activists said it was particularly troubling that the regime’s children enjoy Western freedoms while Iranians have few rights under the system their parents implemented.
The son of Iran’s longtime foreign minister, Mohammad Jarad Zarif, for example, lives in Manhattan, according to an online petition calling for his deportation.
Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein).
The daughter of Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, also lives in the United States, the Guardian reported.
Since the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khomeini, Larijani has emerged as a key ruling figure and has insisted that his government will not surrender.
He recently made headlines for warning the US to “beware of elimination.” The Guardian further reported that his nephews live in Canada and the United Kingdom.
“The list goes on and on,” said Maral Karimi, a professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
“It’s very common. I mean, right here in Toronto, where I live, is one of their strongholds. Many Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and other government elites live in Toronto, themselves or their families or both.”
Ishagh Ghalibaf, the 38-year-old son of Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baghar Ghalibaf, an engineer by training, has applied to move to Canada twice, records show, and was rejected most recently in 2024.
He did not respond to questions sent by Global News.
His father recently rejected calls for a ceasefire, writing in a social media post that “we believe we must punch the aggressor in the mouth so that it learns a lesson.”
The son’s current whereabouts are unknown, but in a court case he filed in Canada as part of his immigration efforts, he wrote that he had temporary residency in Australia until 2022.
Documents filed in federal court in his case show he applied for a visa to study in Ottawa in 2013 but was denied and enrolled at the University of Melbourne.
Although Iranian men are required to complete two years of military service after turning 18, their case records indicate that they have never done so.
Instead, he visited more than a dozen countries, listing the purpose of his travel as “tourism,” according to his Canadian immigration file.
Banking records he filed in court show payments on sushi and Vietnamese restaurants, car rentals and Spotify subscriptions.
In 2019, he applied to immigrate to Canada and later launched a court case claiming the federal government was taking too long to approve him.
“The delay has a direct impact on many aspects of my life,” he wrote in an affidavit filed in federal court as part of his bid to move to Canada.
“I have already announced two new construction projects in Iran in the last two years, in which I will play a role as site manager,” he said.
“It would have provided me with more income and a better career path, however, as these opportunities required a long-term commitment, and I was uncertain when my PR would finally be granted, I had to turn them down.”
Iranian Basij men carry a mock missile during a parade on January 10, 2025 in Tehran, Iran.
He said he owns two properties in Tehran but has “missed the opportunity to develop” them because of the uncertainty of his Canadian immigration.
“I have suffered a huge loss due to this,” he said.
He said he told potential employers in Canada he would arrive within six months, but continued to wait for his immigration papers.
“The existing delay in processing my PR (permanent residence) application has resulted in a huge missed opportunity in life,” he wrote.
“Also, I met a wonderful woman in Iran with whom I hope we can build a life together. But, I’m holding off on taking it further now because I don’t know where I’ll end up or when I can come to Canada.
“It puts an enormous mental burden on my daily life.”
In its defence, the government said the delay in approving his immigration was a result of the “need to conduct security screening”.
Without mentioning his father, the Federal Court wrote in its 2023 judgment that it was “too short” to process his petition.
“This is despite repeated inquiries on the matter by the office of Member of Parliament Pierre Polievre,” the judge wrote.
The file shows that a staff member in the Conservative leader’s office repeatedly contacted Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada about the case. A spokesman for Polivre did not respond to a request for comment.
Iranian community and supporters rally in Ottawa alongside protesters in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody on September 25, 2022. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang.
After Iran International reported the attempted immigration, activists petitioned Ottawa to bar them from Canada.
In a social media post dated February 21, 2024, then-Immigration Minister Mark Miller said the government had denied his permanent residency application.
Another online petition launched in January 2026 urged Australian border officials to deport him. It has collected more than 125,000 signatures on change.org.
Campaign organizers could not be reached for comment, but the petition called them the embodiment of “gross inequality and injustice.”
“While the ordinary people of Iran suffer under a brutal regime, these privileged families are insulated from the consequences of their actions and bask in safety,” it said.
Deporting him “is not just about removing an individual, but about sending a strong, unequivocal message to the Islamic Republic and its affiliates that hypocrisy and injustice will not be tolerated.”
“We call on Western governments to hold privileged families of the Islamic Republic accountable for the roles they play indirectly in supporting and upholding a system that brutalizes its own people.
“It is unacceptable to protect the lifestyle of ordinary Iranians while they are fighting for freedom.”
Stewart.Bell@globalnews.ca
(tags to translate)Iran Canada(T)Canada Border Services Agency(T)Iran War(T)Canada(T)World
