A former St. Albert resident is furious with the Canadian government for its seemingly lax attitude in demanding the return of her four abducted children from Iran.
Since Aug. 2015, Alison Azer has attempted to reunite with her children who were illegally abducted by their father, Dr. Saren Azer, and taken to the Middle East.
Through the use of social media, Alison Azer is trying to put pressure on Prime Minister Trudeau to back up his words of concern for the children with some action.
On Tuesday, she unveiled the Make the Call campaign, an online petition directed towards Trudeau to contact his Iranian counterpart, President Hassan Rouhani, and demand the safe release of her four children.
“How can you illegally take four children to another country and get away with it? I want Justin Trudeau to pick up the phone and call Rouhani,” said Azer.
The petition aims for 1,000 signatures a day and is available at findazerkidsnow/make the call/.
“Five thousand Canadians have signed it and they are very interested and motivated. We have a strong base of support in British Columbia and in Alberta and we are seeing increasing support grow across the country,” Azer said.
Trudeau has said in the House of Commons that the return of Sharvahn, 11; Rojevahn, 9; Dersim, 7; and Meitan, 3; is a top priority.
However, Azer has said that she has tried many times to convince government officials to speak with Iranian officials. However, she has been unable to secure an interview with Trudeau and Global Affairs Canada provides little assistance.
Dr. Saren Azer, an Iranian Kurd, at first fled to Iraq while on a court-sanctioned holiday to Europe. However, in direct opposition to a court-order, he bolted to northern Iraq under the protection of the PKK, a known Kurdish terrorist organization.
Last month he surfaced in the Iranian city of Mahabad where his mother, four brothers and four sisters live. Although a wanted fugitive, Azer appears unconcerned about INTERPOL’s international warrant issued for his arrest. He recently attended a public funeral of a retired university director with several Iranian dignitaries.
Alison Azer is not in contact with her ex-husband, however she frequently receives information and photographs she cannot share with the public. From the information, she reports that the children are under the care of her former husband’s mother, Aysheh Pendareh and his two sisters, Shahla Mahmudi-Azer and Maheen Mahmudi-Azer.
“But that’s not the same as being with their mother and the people who love them. It’s cruel to separate them from their mother, their friends and their school. Nobody should have to go through this. Not a mother, not a grandmother, not an aunt.”
Until Azer has confirmation from the prime minster, that the children are safely on their way to Canada, she plans to continue pushing for their release.
“It is not on the onus of the Iranian government. It is on the onus of the Canadian government to bring them home.”
