TerrorismCanada, U.K. to press other nations to stop ransom payments to terrorists

Canada and Britain will work together to persuade other nations to stop the flow of ransom payments to terrorists, Canada’s prime minister Justin Trudeau said on Tuesday.

“Canada does not and will not pay ransom to terrorists, directly or indirectly,” Trudeau told reporters in Alberta. His statement came one day after Canadian hostage John Ridsdel, a former mining executive, was killed by Islamist Abu Sayyaf militants in the Philippines. He was killed within hours after the Canadian government did not respond to the group’s ransom demand.

The Globe and Mail reports that Ridsdel’s death has focused debate on whether nations should negotiate with terrorist groups over ransom demands. On Tuesday, Trudeau argued that ransom payment merely fund terrorism and criminal activity, while also setting a dangerous precedent. “Paying ransom for Canadians would endanger the lives of every single one of the millions of Canadians who live, work and travel around the globe every single year,” Trudeau said.

He said he had spoken with David Cameron, the British prime minister, earlier in the day. The two leaders also discussed their shared opposition to paying ransoms. “We agreed that it is something we are going to make sure we do bring up with our friends and allies around the world as we come to grips with the fact that the world is a dangerous place,” Trudeau said.

In 2013 major Western countries agreed on a policy on not paying ransom to terrorist groups. Officials from the governments involved admitted that the policy would put a target on the nationals of certain countries and inflate ransoms to a point where families or employers would not be able to pay.

The commitment has not always been followed by the governments which were part to the agreement, as France, Italy, Spain, and Germany exchanged money to terrorist groups for the release of their citizens.

There were reports that in 2009, the Canadian government paid C$1 million to secure the release of two Canadian diplomats kidnapped in Niger by al-Qaeda.

Trudeau said on Tuesday that Canada was in close contact with Filipino authorities in hopes of pursuing Ridsdel’s killers. Abu Sayyaf, a small group of Islamic militants which has made a name for itself for kidnappings, beheadings, bombings, and extortions, also continues to hold another Canadian captive.

Several other foreigners from countries including the Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia are also being held hostage by Abu Sayyaf.