The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mélanie Joly, said that the veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces David Lavery was “safe” in Qatar – months after a network of support for veterans expressed his concerns about her disappearance in Afghanistan and its possible detention by the Taliban government.
In a publication on social networks on Sunday, Joly said that she “had just spoken with David Lavery when he arrived healthy and saved in Qatar from Afghanistan. He is in a good mood”.
Joly also thanked Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, for having helped to facilitate the release of our Canadian citizen “.
I just spoke with David Lavery when he arrives healthy and saved in Qatar from Afghanistan. He’s in a good mood.
Thanks to my Qatari counterpart, @Mba_althani_For having helped to facilitate the release of our Canadian citizen.
According to a source in the liberation of Lavery, the former Canadian soldier was detained in Kabul on November 11, 2024, the day of the memory. The Canadian government has contacted the Qatar government to get help to obtain Lavery’s release.
Qataris mediators coordinated with senior Canadian officials and used their contacts in Afghanistan to send a medical team responsible for assessing the state of Lavery and providing care while facilitating contacts between Lavery and his family, said The source.
Finally, specifies the source, Lavery underwent a medical assessment upon his arrival in Doha and is now with her family.
“We are extremely relieved to know that a Canadian friend, veteran and humanitarian friend is out of danger.” Oliver Thorne, CEO of the Veterans Transition Network, said on Sunday in a statement. “Our work in the past three years to evacuate the Afghan allies who have supported the mission of Canada would not have been possible without the personal commitment and the courage of Dave.”
Before the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban’s hands in 2021, Lavery tried to provide aid and assistance to eligible Afghan migrants. The veterans’ transition network noted in November that Lavery had repeatedly visited Afghanistan for humanitarian work and to deposit crowns in the Canadian monument in Kabul on the day of memory.
CBC News contacted Global Affairs Canada for additional information.
