WE HAVE DONE THAT ... HAVE PROVIDED COMFORT LETTERS.

The government is firm in its resolve to deny terrorists the resources they need to conduct attacks against Canada, its allies and partners, Drake said. The federal payment of ransom money would provide incentive for terrorists to engage in hostage-taking, increasing the risk to Canadians abroad, he added.

Canadians John Ridsdel and Robert Hall were executed in 2016 after Abu Sayyaf militants in the Philippines did not receive the large payments they had demanded.

Families sometimes choose to work with agencies or private contractors to raise money and engage in negotiations with hostagetakers, Malizia noted.

“This decision is their decision. We do not advise such a course of action, however,” he said. “If they do decide to work with an agency, and if they do decide to pay a ransom, it’s a course of action in which we are not involved.”

However, the RCMP continues to give advice to family members acting as negotiators so that they understand the risks involved, Malizia said.

Amanda Lindhout was a freelance journalist from Red Deer, Alta., when she and Australian photographer Nigel Brennan were seized by armed men in Somalia in August 2008, the beginning of 15 months in captivity. They were released upon payment of a ransom, arranged in part by Lindhout’s mother.

The RCMP investigated the kidnapping for years, arresting Somali national Ali Omar Ader in 2015. He was found guilty of hostage-taking in Ottawa last year.

Canadian Joshua Boyle and his American wife, Caitlan Coleman, were taken hostage in 2012 by a Taliban-linked group while on a backpacking trip in Afghanistan. The couple, and the three children they had during their five years in captivity, were freed by Pakistani forces last October. There are no indications that a ransom was paid.

Boyle faces a string of assault charges stemming from alleged events that followed his return to Canada. Prior to his arrest he met with Justin Trudeau, which prompted questions Monday about the prime minister’s security.

While the witnesses could not talk about specific cases, Malizia and Jeff Yaworski of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said any relevant information about an individual meeting the prime minister would be passed along in advance.