Federal government confirms Canadians detained in Syria
Ottawa is attempting to verify location of citizens through local officials
The Canadian government is aware of Canadian citizens being detained in Syria, said Global Affairs Canada.
The confirmation comes after a CNN reporter interviewed two women identified as Canadians fleeing Daesh territory.
Richard Walker, a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada, said the government is working on providing assistance “to the limited extent possible.”
“Canadian diplomats have established a communications channel with local Kurdish authorities in order to verify the whereabouts of some Canadian citizens,” Walker said.
On Saturday, CNN published a report with international correspondent Ben Wedeman in- terviewing two women passing through a “nondescript patch of ground” in eastern Syria, after fleeing the Daesh town, Baghouz Al-Fawqani.
One of the women described herself as a Toronto native and said she had come to Syria after her husband asked her to, four years ago.
“But when you come to Raqqa, it doesn’t look like a war,” she said after Wedeman asked her if she was aware of the war. “You’re there, you’re eating Pringles and Twix bars and you’re just singing — you don’t feel like you’re in a war.”
The other woman said she was a former graphic designer from Alberta, who also came to Syria at her husband’s urging. Both women spoke with North American accents and were dressed in black with their faces covered. They were both accompanied by their children.
When asked if she regretted coming to Syria, the Torontonian said, “No I don’t, in the sense that I had my kids here.”
Last week, the U.S. State Department called on other countries to “repatriate and prosecute” citizens from their country that have been detained by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.
Walker said it would be “extremely difficult” for Canadians in Syria to leave the region given the security situation. He said even if they do find a way out, they’re likely to be detained in neighbouring countries.