A group of predominantly Western countries led by Canada have formed a coalition against the detention of foreign nationals for diplomatic leverage, following a practice that diplomats say has been used by Beijing and Tehran.
Fifty-eight nations, including the United States, Japan, Australia and almost all members of the European Union, have signed a non-binding declaration with no tools for enforcement. The Canadian Foreign Ministry, which launched the initiative publicly on Monday, says it is not targeting a single nation, but aims to exert diplomatic pressure on the issue.
Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau told reporters on Sunday that he was seeking the support of other countries to join the effort to stop “illegal and immoral” prisons. 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, Britain and Germany, spoke at a virtual conference hosted by Canada on Monday morning to express support for stopping arbitrary detentions.