The Comox Valley RCMP says it has been contacted by Saren Azer – a prominent Comox Valley doctor and father who took his children to the Middle East and never came back.
Saren is accused of abducting his four kids - daughters Sharvahn, 11, Rojevan, 9, and sons Dersim, 7, and Meitan, 3 - nine months ago.
The RCMP says they talked to Saren at length about his actions and he assured them that the children are safe.
Officers say they are hopeful that communication with the father will continue so that a resolution can be found in what they are calling a “parental abduction investigation.”
The children’s mother Alison Azer tells CTV News that the communication is a good sign.
“I think he’s realized that he needs to find his way back to Canada with the children. He’s made a terrible mistake, an illegal one and he’s an international fugitive,” Alison said. “He’s not safe where he is and as a result the children aren’t safe.”
Last month a Facebook group went online called “Azer children” – showing new pictures of the kids with their father and relatives.
In comments on the page Saren only says the children are happy and safe.
But their mom Alison says the safest place for her kids is at home in Canada.
“It’s an international fugitive who’s saying that they’re safe. Child abduction is child abuse, so until the children are returned to Canada they’re not safe and neither is their father,” Alison stated.
The mom of four says Wednesday was an especially difficult day for her because it was her youngest son’s fourth birthday.
“I miss my kids so desperately and yesterday I just held out hope all day long that Saren might let them call me,” Alison said. “I thought that there was a chance that he may give me that, give them that. It was a really long day.”
The Facebook group posted pictures of Meitan celebrating his fourth birthday.
As for the mom, Alison says she’s still trying to make sense of how this could have happened in the first place.
“It doesn’t make any sense that ten months on the furthest that Canadian authorities have gotten is they’ve answered the call from an international fugitive. The Canadian government can do more and they must do more. We won’t stop until they do,” she said.
Last month Alison met with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Ottawa. She says Trudeau assured her that the file pertaining to her kid’s case is on his desk and will stay there until the children come home.
“He’s called it a priority and I think Canadians are eager to see what that means for this relatively new government,” Alison noted.
She is heading back to Ottawa next week. Although she doesn’t have a meeting set up with the prime minister, she hopes she can get an update from his staff.
An online petition #MakeTheCall was started last month. It’s directed at Trudeau to contact his Iranian counterpart.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued for Saren Azer.
