Alison Azer, the B.C. woman whose four children are being held in Iran by their father, took to Parliament Hill Thursday to blast the lack of progress in bringing her children home.
“I expect more from this government — they can do more, they must do more,” said Azer, choking up. “It’s almost been 15 months, they are in harms way, and if not now, then when?”
READ MORE: How much can the Canadian government do to bring the Azer children home?
Azer’s ex-husband, Saren Azer, took their four children out of Canada in August 2015. He said he was taking them to Europe for two weeks. Azer took legal action to block the trip from happening — but her efforts were in vain.
The children ended up in their father’s home country, Iran, and Azer hasn’t seen them since.
Azer was in Ottawa in an attempt to get an update on the work dedicated to her children’s return. She says she has heard of “few, if any” indicators of progress, and she doesn’t know what is happening.
“No, they’re not doing everything that they can,” said Azer.
“This has been a very disappointing and distressing time. And I have been as reasonable as a parent can be under such circumstances.”
Hundred of hours have spent working to find a resolution for the Azer family, Global Affairs said in an emailed statement to Global News.
“Returning the children to their mother drives us each and every day,” the statement said. “We are working closely with the appropriate government authorities, in Canada and abroad, in the pursuit of the safe return of the Azer children to Canada.
“Parental abduction cases can be especially complicated where a child is taken to a country, such as Iran, which does not recognize dual-nationality. Furthermore, we face challenges posed by the absence of diplomatic presence in Iran since 2012.”
Conservative MP Michael Cooper brought up Azer’s plight in the House of Commons Thursday.
“When Alison met with the prime minister in May he assured her he was preoccupied with the case — and yet nearly five months later Alison has received absolutely no indication that the prime minister has done anything to help. Nor has there been any progress in the case,” said Cooper.
“Time is of the essence. It’s time for the prime minister to demonstrate leadership, take action, and make the return of these four Canadian children a priority.”
An alleged rude gesture by Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion in response to Cooper’s remarks prompted a heated exchange. However, Dion shrugged off the accusation, and said reuniting the family is a priority.
“We want to have results for this family. We want the children to be in the arms of their mother,” Dion said Thursday.
WATCH: Tories call on Liberals to apologize to Alison Azer for ‘inappropriate hand gestures’
Azer said she and her family deserve respect.
“Today was one of many days I have sat in the gallery and it was the first time I felt truly disrespected and dishonoured,” said Azer. “I was truly disappointed to see the foreign minister exhibit such unbecoming behaviour.”
Charges dismissed against father in Iran
Azer’s frustration has been mounting. She told Global News in August that while Saren had reportedly been arrested by Iranian officials on June 12, the charges were dropped because no one from the Government of Canada contacted Iranian officials.
She then shared the information with Global Affairs on July 29 but it was “the first they’d heard of it.”
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Saren Azer, a medical doctor, spoke with Global News earlier this year from Iran. He defended his choice to bring his children to Iran, saying it was in their best interest.
“They have never been as well as they are,” Dr. Azer said. “They are thriving, they are happy. Our daily life is filled with joy, all of them are healthy, they are well, they are thriving at school, they are learning languages, they are learning different cultures, different traditions, they are surrounded by their families and they are loved and they are adored.
“My children were in a war zone in Canada.”
The children’s mother was welcome to come visit, he added.
Azer is wanted by both the RCMP and Interpol on abduction charges, a point Azer stressed Thursday.
“My children are with an international fugitive,” said Azer. “There are four counts of kidnapping against my ex-husband, their father. This is a criminal matter, not an international custody dispute.”
She says her ex-husband has not allowed her any contact with her children and Global Affairs has not made any checks on their welfare.
An online petition has been circulating, urging Canadians to lend their voices and out pressure on the Canadian government to bring the children home.
The petition asks Trudeau to call Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, “and do whatever else is necessary to bring these Canadian kids back home.”
With files from Rebecca Joseph and Claude Adams
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