Ali Ehsassi

Biography

Ali Cyrus Ehsassi was born on April 24, 1970, in Geneva, Switzerland. When he was three years old, his family relocated to New York City, and later, when he was 15, they moved to North York, Ontario, in Canada. Ehsassi’s family has a rich background in international relations. His maternal great-grandfather, Abdolhossein Teymourtash, served as the first Minister of Court during the Pahlavi dynasty in Iran. His father also worked as an Iranian diplomat and was stationed at the Iranian embassy in Switzerland when Ali was born. Due to the Iranian Revolution, Ehsassi’s family left Iran.

Education

Ali Ehsassi pursued his education with great dedication. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto and a Master’s of Science degree from the London School of Economics. Additionally, he attended York University Osgoode Hall Law School, where he obtained his LL.B. Ehsassi continued his studies at Georgetown University Law School, focusing on international trade and arbitration law. During his time at Georgetown, he was a global and WTO fellow.

Member of Parliament

In the 2015 federal election, Ali Ehsassi was elected as a Liberal Member of Parliament representing Willowdale, Ontario. His victory was significant because he became one of the first two Canadians of Iranian heritage to be elected to Canada’s federal Parliament, alongside Majid Jowhari.

Throughout his tenure, Ehsassi has been actively engaged in both his constituency and the House of Commons. He serves as a member of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Furthermore, he chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and other Crimes against Humanity. Ehsassi is also the Co-Chair of the 416 Caucus and serves on the Standing Committee for Citizenship and Immigration and the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations.

In addition, Ali Ehsassi is involved in various Parliamentary Associations and Interparliamentary groups, including the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association, Canada-China Legislative Association, Canada-Israel Interparliamentary Group, Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association, Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, and the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas.

Advocacy for Human Rights

Ali Ehsassi has been a vocal advocate for human rights. In 2015, he expressed support for Justin Trudeau’s positive stance on the Iran Nuclear Deal. He has consistently emphasized the importance of holding Iran accountable for its human rights violations and urged the country to cease support for international terrorism.