Minister uses Twitter to spread the word on Canada's embassy in Iran

Here's Jason Kenney, Minister of Immigration of Citizenship making news on Twitter:

[Tweet at 1842 Sunday night] Some posters mistakingly believe that western embassies are sheltering wounded protestors in Tehran, except Canada. I've looked into this …

[Tweet at 1843 Sunday night] … and its completely untrue. Canada has contacted all relevant embassies in Tehran to enquire. None are doing so: they can't.

Aside from the fact that Kenney is addressing an important public policy point, it's also, so far as I can tell, the first time a government minister has responded to some breaking news in a substantive way on Twitter.

At issue here is the meme/rumour/myth spread on Twitter, Facebook and blogs that Canada was alone among Western embassies in rejecting help to asylum seekers amid violent protests in downtown Tehran. The meme spread by some Canadians was that other Western democracies were taking in protesters and yet the country of Ken Taylor and his heroism in the 1979 hostage crisis was not only not helping, it was closed.

Not true, says the Canadian government.

Here's Simone McAndrew, a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade earlier today:

Reports on Saturday that the Canadian Embassy in Iran was turning away people seeking sanctuary are false. The Embassy was closed Saturday and there were no Canadians at the Embassy when the protests began.

Reports that we were providing shelter to Iranian demonstrators are false.

Canada's Embassy is located in the centre of recent demonstrations. Due to the tense security in Tehran this week, the embassy has been closing early so that staff can return home safely before the public and democratic demonstrations begin.

The violent crackdowns by Iranian security forces, including the use of lethal force, is wholly unacceptable. Canada continues to call for the protection of civilians and their rights.

As the Prime Minister recently stated, “We encourage those authorities to respect people's basic human rights and to move forward on democratic progress in that country.”

Canada does not offer asylum to individuals in its embassies abroad. However, in exceptional cases where an individual is in the embassy and seeks temporary refuge because of an immediate threat or injury or death, temporary safe haven has, in some instances and for humanitarian reasons, been provided.

Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, including the Canadian Embassy in Tehran, continues to provide consular assistance to Canadian citizens in-person, on the phone and through email.

In case of emergency consular assistance, Canadians should contact the Embassy of Canada in Tehran at 98 (21) 8152-0000 or DFAIT's Emergency Operations Centre by calling collect to 613-996-8885 or by sending an email to sos@international.gc.ca

Canada's position on this issue, in fact, seems to be very similar to that of many European countries. See this Agence France-Presse story earlier this afternoon:

European embassies in Tehran addressed Sunday what officials said were concerted email calls for them to offer refuge to Iranian democracy protesters, diplomats said.

Talks amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Western nations over post-election violence followed a string of messages sent to embassies and an Internet circular listing overseas missions willing to accept “wounded refugees.”

No request for asylum at a European embassy has yet been confirmed, the diplomats added.

The story goes on to say that, even if asked for asylum, the embassies of many European countries in Iran would refuse the request.