Government urged to act on Canadian kids abducted to Iraq

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As many as 15,000 letters are on their way to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his ministers as supporters of the family of four Canadian children abducted and taken to Iraq press the government to help in their safe return.

In August, the RCMP issued an arrest warrant for Saren Azer on charges of abduction in contravention of a custody order, after he failed to return to Canada with his children. Interpol also published photos and details about the Canadian children, listing them as missing.

After searching for several months, the children’s mother, Alison Azer of British Columbia, located the kids in Kurdish-controlled northern Iraq. Letter-writers from across the country are now asking the Liberal government to aid in their return.

“The purpose of the letters is to show the government that Canadians care about the kids and they expect the government to do something about it, to bring them home,” explained Kate Jeffrey, Alison’s niece.

She believes the letters and other publicity surrounding the abduction has helped “raise awareness at the political level.”

Saren Azer, also known as Salahaddin Mahmudi Azer, is a Kurd who had lived in Canada since 1994. He is a medical doctor who has done humanitarian work in the Kurdistan region of Iraq annually since 2007.

Azer was legally permitted to leave Canada with the children on a trip to Europe but when he didn’t return as scheduled, the Supreme Court of British Columbia issued an Aug. 21 order requiring the children be returned immediately to their mother.

The case gained some additional publicity at the time since Saren Azer was featured in one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s videos on Canada’s involvement in the Iraq war.
In a video posted on Harper’s website on April 1, Azer praised the Conservative government for extending Canada’s military mission in Iraq. He also met with Harper in his office.

Azer also met with Jason Kenney, then the Conservative Defence minister, who posted a photo on Twitter of the two together. Kenney lauded Azer as a man “doing tremendous work” with Canada’s Kurdish community to help Iraqi refugees.

But after the disappearance of the children, spokesmen for Harper and Kenney distanced the two politicians from Azer, noting that they had met with many individuals over the last year.

During her trip to Iraq, Alison Azer obtained photos showing her ex-husband and the four children, 11-year-old Sharvahn, Rojevahn, 9, Dersim, 7, and Meitan, 3, arriving at Sulaymaniyah International Airport in northern Iraq on Aug. 15.

Jeffrey said the family is grateful for the ongoing efforts of Kurdish and Canadian authorities “but it’s been four months. They are in a dangerous region. They’re Canadian citizens. They’re Canadian children.”

The RCMP has confirmed it issued an arrest warrant for Azer, but the police force has not provided additional comment.

The Prime Minister’s Office referred questions to Global Affairs Canada.

Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Rachna Mishra noted in an email to the Citizen that “Government of Canada senior officials remain deeply concerned for the safety and well-being of the children, and are in regular contact with the children’s mother.”
“Canadian consular officials are working closely with the appropriate government authorities in Canada and abroad, including law enforcement,” she added.

Mishra noted that “in the interest of the safety of the Azer children, it would not be helpful to comment further on this case.”

Alison Azer said she originally admired and supported her ex-husband’s international aid efforts.

But the two separated more than three years ago and the relationship has been acrimonious, she explained on a website about the abduction.

Her ex-husband wanted full control and custody of the children, she stated. “He couldn’t tolerate that I let the children take swimming lessons, attend birthday parties and enjoy a normal Canadian childhood,” Alison Azer wrote.

“Three years ago I fled with my children and had established myself and my kids in what I thought was a safe environment, free the abusive nature of my ex-husband. I worked through our judicial system to ensure both the safety and security for myself and my children even though, as a mother, I was always terrified that this nightmare would come true.”

dpugliese@ottawacitizen.com
Twitter.com/davidpugliese


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