OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met this week with the Canadian-American family that was held captive in Afghanistan.

A Twitter account named "The Boyle Family" posted photos Tuesday of Joshua Boyle, his wife, Caitlan Coleman and their three children inside what appears to be the prime minister’s Parliament Hill office in Centre Block.

The tweets say the family discussed the Haqqani network, the Taliban-linked group that kidnapped the couple and held them captive in Afghanistan for years. Their children were all born in captivity.

Joshua Boyle told CTV News that the meeting took place on Monday afternoon.

"We took the children around the parliamentary tour immediately before the meeting," he said.

It was the first time the children met the prime minister, though Boyle said he and his wife had met Trudeau previously.

While it was the kids’ first time inside Parliament, Boyle said he and his wife "have been in Parliament many times... in various ways."

Boyle said they were not asked to keep the meeting quiet. He would not say who requested the meeting, nor directly comment on why the family met with Trudeau.

The Prime Minister’s Office confirmed to CTV News that the meeting took place.

“The Prime Minister did meet with the Boyles earlier this week, and like all Canadians, we are relieved that their terrible ordeal is over and they are back home safely,” the PMO said.



“It was a private meeting and we will not say more due to privacy considerations and out of respect for the family.”

With files from Rachel Aiello and Mackenzie Grey

Today was a wonderful experience for my family, and Ma'idah Grace Makepeace seemed truly enamoured. Incidentally, not our first meeting with @JustinTrudeau, that was '06 in Toronto over other common interests, haha. pic.twitter.com/Aj2eVGJoux — The Boyle Family (@BoylesVsWorld) December 19, 2017