Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly says Canadian Armed Forces veteran David Lavery is “safe” in Qatar – months after a support network of vets expressed concern that he was missing in Afghanistan and possibly detained by the Taliban government.
In a social media post on Sunday, Joly said she had “just spoken to David Lavery following his safe arrival in Qatar from Afghanistan. He is in good spirit.”
Joly also thanked Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Qatar's foreign minister, for “facilitating the release of our Canadian citizen.”
I have just spoken to David Lavery following his safe arrival in Qatar from Afghanistan. He's in a good mood.
Thank you to my counterpart Katari, @MBA_Althani_for helping to facilitate our Canadian citizen.
– –@melaniejoly
According to a source with knowledge of Lavery's release, the former Canadian soldier was detained in Kabul on November 11, 2024 – Memorial Day. The Canadian government contacted the government of Qatar for assistance in securing Lavery's release.
Qatari mediators coordinated with senior Canadian officials and used contacts in Afghanistan to send a medical team to assess Lavery's condition and provide care, while also facilitating contact between Lavery and his family, the source said.
Finally, the source said: Lavery underwent a medical evaluation upon arrival in Doha and is now with his family.
In November Veterans Transition Network said It was “deeply concerned about the welfare of David Lavery, known to all those he helped as 'Canadian Dave.'
Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021, Lavery has worked to provide relief and assistance to eligible Afghan migrants. The Veterans Transition Network noted in November that Lavery had traveled to Afghanistan multiple times for humanitarian work and to lay wreaths at the Canadian Memorial in Kabul on Remembrance Day.
CBC News has contacted Global Affairs Canada for additional information.