Alison Azer says Iranian authorities have detained father accused of abducting his 4 children

Iranian authorities have detained Kurdish-Canadian doctor Saren Azer, who was wanted by the RCMP and Interpol in the abduction of his four children, according to a statement released by Alison Azer.

The mother of four children taken to Iran by their father last summer provided an update on her family’s situation in Ottawa on Tuesday morning.

WATCH: Alison Azer blast Trudeau’s lack of ‘leadership’ in trying to return her children to Canada

1:54 Alison Azer explains what steps she would like to see PM Trudeau take

• Alison Azer explains what steps she would like to see PM Trudeau take
• Alison Azer fights back tears as she pleads with Canadian authorities to help return her kids
• Alison Azer provides update on children taken to Iran by their father
• Alison Azer blast Trudeau’s lack of ‘leadership’ in trying to return her children to Canada

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Saren was detained June 12 in the province of West Azerbaijan and is currently out on bail, according to the statement released to media.

A visibly emotional Alison Azer alleged that following her ex-husband’s detention, the RCMP requested permission to contact their Iranian Interpol counterparts, but that the request was denied by “senior Canadian government officials.”

“I believe the reluctance is based on a lack of certainty of how to move forward with diplomatic relations,” said Azer.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I believe the reluctance is based on a lack of certainty of how to move forward with diplomatic relations," said Azer.

READ MORE: How much can the Canadian government do to bring the Azer children home?

She is now asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to personally call the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, to get the children physically back to Canada.

“Had prime minister Trudeau shown leadership last month my kids could be home enjoying the summer.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Had prime minister Trudeau shown leadership last month my kids could be home enjoying the summer."

Azer said she is not completely certain who is caring for the children at this point, and lives in fear that she will receive a call telling her that something terrible has happened to them. She says the Iranians are clearly “motivated” to resolve the situation.

WATCH: Trudeau ‘closely engaged’ in bringing Azer children home

0:44 Trudeau ‘closely engaged’ in bringing Azer children home

“The Iranians have shown a willingness and actions, as a result of Canada’s Interpol notice,” Azer told reporters on Tuesday.

“I need the prime minister of Canada to show a similar motivation, to thank them for the steps that they’re already taking and find the way to bring my children home.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I need the prime minister of Canada to show a similar motivation, to thank them for the steps that they're already taking and find the way to bring my children home."

The British Columbian mother has taken the fight for her children to the national stage in recent months, meeting with Trudeau in June to plead for more government action to get them back.

Government ‘deeply concerned’

A spokesperson for the office of Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Dion said Tuesday that the Canadian government remains “deeply concerned” for the Azer children, and is in regular contact with their mother. The department did not comment on the allegation that senior government officials blocked RCMP efforts to contact the Iranians.

“Canadian consular officials are working closely with the appropriate government authorities in Canada and abroad, including law enforcement,” said spokesperson Chantal Gagnon.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Canadian consular officials are working closely with the appropriate government authorities in Canada and abroad, including law enforcement," said spokesperson Chantal Gagnon.

“While privacy considerations prevent the department from commenting in detail, the safety and well-being of the Azer children are a priority for the Government of Canada.”

Asked about the case during a stop in Montreal, Trudeau essentially repeated those lines.

“There have been a number of engagements with their father, including certain actions by authorities overseas,” he acknowledged. “We continue to be very closely involved.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "There have been a number of engagements with their father, including certain actions by authorities overseas," he acknowledged. "We continue to be very closely involved."

WATCH: Political influence may not help Alison Azer get her kids back from Iran

3:05 Political influence may not help Alison Azer get her kids back from Iran

The four Azer children — Sharvahn, 11, Rojevahn, 10, Dersim, 7 and Meitan, 4 — were taken to Iran against their mother’s wishes after a court-approved holiday with their father in Europe.

Saren Azer, who recently granted an exclusive interview to Global News, was wanted by the RCMP and Interpol on abduction charges.

“We were surrounded, we were encircled, we were brutalized (in Canada),” he told Global News in a Skype interview in May, refusing to specify in which city he was located. “What I saw my children go through was nothing less than a terror.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We were surrounded, we were encircled, we were brutalized (in Canada)," he told Global News in a Skype interview in May, refusing to specify in which city he was located. "What I saw my children go through was nothing less than a terror."

His ex-wife said those were the words of a desperate man who knew the authorities were closing in on him.

WATCH: Interview with Saren Azer, the father who illegally took his four children to the Middle East

6:53 Interview with Saren Azer, the father who illegally took his four children to the Middle East