Canada has been successful in securing the release of its citizen Colin Rutherford, who had been taken into captivity by the Taliban in 2010 in Afghanistan, the country's global affairs department said on Monday.
However, the date of his return has not been specified.
Rutherford, then 26, had gone to Afghanistan in November 2010 as a tourist and was captured by the terrorist group.
A 2011 video released by the militant group showed Rutherford, a resident of Toronto and an auditor by profession, explaining that he was a tourist who was interested in historical sites and monuments, and was captured on the second day of his visit to Ghazni. He was also shown as saying he had been treated humanely by his captors. The group had accused him of being a spy, reported ABC News.
Stéphane Dion, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, on Monday in a statement said: "Canada is very pleased that efforts undertaken to secure the release of Colin Rutherford from captivity have been successful. We look forward to Rutherford being able to return to Canada and reunite with his family and loved ones.
"The government of Canada will continue to provide Rutherford with consular assistance and will assist in facilitating his safe return home.‎ As minister of foreign affairs, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the government of Qatar for its assistance in this matter.‎"
No other detail regarding Qatar's involvement in securing the release has been made public by the Canadian global affairs department.
"The government of Canada will not comment or release any information which may compromise ongoing efforts or endanger the safety of Canadian citizens," spokeswoman Rachna Mishra said in an email to CBC News.
The news of Rutherford's release came on the same day as a high profile meeting was being held in Afghanistan where officials from Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and the US were looking to broker peace in the conflict-ridden country.
You can watch the 2011 video released by Taliban of Colin Rutherford here:
