Erin Haluschak
Record Staff
Four Comox Valley children who were allegedly abducted by their father this summer have now been located in the Middle East, according to members close to the family.
In August, Alison Azer received word her ex-husband - Dr. Saren Azer (also known as Salahaddin Mahummudi-Azer) - hadn't returned to Canada from a court-approved trip to Europe with her children Sharvahn, 11, Rojevahn, 9, Dersim, 7 and Meitan, 3.
Comox Valley RCMP sought and obtained a Canada Wide Warrant of Arrest for Azer - who practised at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in Comox - in relation to charges of Abduction in Contravention of a Custody Order, contrary to Section 282 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
INTERPOL also lists the children as missing on their website.
Family spokesperson Jody Korchinski confirmed in an email to The Record Alison does now know the location of her children.
"Alison is tremendously grateful for all the support she has received and the interest people have taken in her story," she said.
"Government (Canadian and Kurdistan Regional Government) efforts are now underway to recover the children, but Saren is refusing to release them. Alison is now counting on the Canadian government to support her."
Korchinski credits social media efforts and news stories for helping determine the location of the children.
Prior to locating the children, Alison noted online that Canadian and Kurdish authorities are aware that Saren and the children landed at the Sulaymaniyah airport in Northern Iraq on Aug. 15.
RCMP confirmed the children were legally permitted to leave Canada with Saren, but the warrant was obtained mid-August when he and the children did not return to B.C. by Aug. 22.
Saren, an Iranian Kurd who has lived in Canada since 1994, has worked for humanitarian efforts in the Kurdistan region of Iraq to provide medical attention to Syrian refugees since 2007.
For more information, visit findazerkidsnow.com.