David Lavery, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran, is safe in Qatar after being detained for over two months in Afghanistan.
David Lavery, a Canadian Armed Forces veteran and former member of Canada’s elite Joint Task Force 2, is now safe in Qatar after being detained in Afghanistan for more than two months, following successful diplomatic efforts by Qatar and Canada.
“I just spoke with David Lavery upon his safe arrival in Qatar from Afghanistan. He is in good spirits,” Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly posted on X.
Joly also thanked Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for Lavery’s release.
Lavery, founder of private security firm Raven Rae Consultancy in Kabul, was arrested by Taliban authorities from the Afghan capital on 11 November 2024.
Qatari mediators are believed to have played a key role in the negotiations with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
“We are incredibly thankful to everyone who helped formally and informally to bring home Canadian Dave – especially the Government of Qatar and our friends in Doha,” the Veterans Transition Network (VTN) said in a statement.
The VTN is a national Canadian charity delivering programs to help Veterans transition from the military to a productive and meaningful civilian life. The organisation had been working with Lavery since 2021 to provide aid and migration assistance following Canada’s military withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Lavery reunited with his loved ones upon arriving in Doha and underwent a medical assessment. A medical team had been dispatched to assess Lavery’s condition and facilitate communication with his family.
The VTN, which had voiced concern for Lavery’s safety in November, expressed immense relief at the news.
“We are immensely relieved to know that a friend, father, veteran, and Canadian humanitarian is out of harm’s way,” said CEO Oliver Thorne.
The organisation praised Lavery’s dedication to aiding Afghan allies during Canada’s mission and his humanitarian efforts after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
Lavery, who made headlines in 2021 for helping 100 Afghans flee Kabul during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S. and allied forces, continued returning to Afghanistan to provide aid and commemorate Canadian veterans.
