Release of children held in Syria too fraught, officials say
OTTAWA — Canada’s Global Affairs Department says it has opened a communication channel with the Kurdish jailers of Canadian children and their families in Syria, but hasn’t been able to secure their release because of the volatile security situation.
The response Tuesday from Global Affairs comes after a Toronto-based organization called on the government to come to the aid of Canadian infants and children being held in Syria.
The Canadians detained by Kurdish authorities in Syrian territory include nine families and more than 10 children, including some who were taken to Syria at young ages and others who were born there, said Alexandra Bain, the director of Families Against Violent Extremism.
Bain said the children are facing the outbreak of disease and a harsh winter and the Canadian government has a duty to protect its citizens. She said they live on a diet of rice and pasta and there are no diapers or milk.
Bain said her group and another British-based volunteer organization want to foot the cost of getting the Canadians out of a war zone and are willing to do the necessary work on the ground, but that the government has to help them.
The group includes Jack Letts, the British-raised son of a Canadian father and British mother, who has been dubbed “Jihadi Jack” by the U.K. media. His father, John, joined Bains on Parliament Hill on Tuesday, calling for the release of the Canadians.
He branded as “fake news” the reports of his son being a terrorist, and laid the blame at the foot of a British journalist, whose use of the moniker stuck.
Bain and Letts were in Ottawa and met with senior consular officials at Global Affairs.
“Canadian diplomats have established a communications channel with local Kurdish authorities in order to verify the whereabouts and well-being of Canadian citizens,” said Stefano Maron, a department spokesman.
“The government of Canada is engaged in these cases and is providing assistance, to the limited extent possible.”
John Letts told the Hill news conference that he thinks his son, Jack, is innocent and that he needs treatment for various illnesses contracted while in prison. He said his son was never involved in the violence perpetrated by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIS or Daesh.
Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer criticized the federal government this month over reports that consular officials initiated contact with Letts, whom Scheer described as a “known jihadi fighter.”
Letts calls Scheer’s assertions about his son a lie.
Bain said all those imprisoned in Syria should be vetted by Canadian authorities and it is possible some should face charges for their activities abroad.
“They were all captured and detained in a war zone, and they must be thoroughly investigated by Canada’s security services and some will undoubtedly face justice.”