A group of mostly Western countries led by Canada have formed a coalition against the detention of foreign nationals by diplomatic influence, with the aim of a practice that diplomats say has been used by Beijing and Tehran.
Fifty-eight countries, including the United States, Japan, Australia and almost all members of the European Union, have signed a non-binding declaration that has no tools to enforce it. The Canadian foreign ministry, which launched the initiative publicly on Monday, says it is not aimed at a single nation, but aims to exert diplomatic pressure on the issue.
Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau told reporters on Sunday that he is seeking the support of other countries to join the effort to stop “illegal and immoral” imprisonments. Joining other nations, he said, “We believe we are more likely to put pressure on those countries that practice arbitrary detention,” he said.
Western diplomats have accused China, Iran, Russia and North Korea in recent years of detaining foreign nationals as bargaining chips.
Officials from dozens of countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany, spoke at a virtual conference hosted by Canada on Monday morning to declare its support for the detention of arbitrary detentions.