Mr. Speaker, I think the minister has been misinformed by his own officials. Uzbekistani authorities have just advised the family that they would have preferred to release Mr. Celil to Canada but that “there has not been sufficient pressure or concern raised by the Canadian government”, contrary to the minister's claims.
Will he immediately contact the Uzbekistani ambassador in Washington, negotiate the terms of a release, and obtain the necessary visas so that a government delegation can go to Uzbekistan and bring this Canadian back home to his family?