The family of a New Brunswick potato farmer jailed in Lebanon arrived on Parliament Hill today to appeal to the government to help bring him home safely to Canada.

Henk Tepper's family says the past few days have been tumultuous and they are hoping for a Christmas miracle that will bring the man home.

Tepper has been held in a Beirut prison since March 23 under an international arrest warrant over allegations that potatoes he exported to Algeria in 2007 were rotten.

Algeria alleges that Tepper forged documents related to the export of potatoes from Quebec and Prince Edward Island, but Tepper's lawyers have denied the allegation, saying the potatoes were inspected in Canada before shipment and met Algerian standards.

Last week Tepper's lawyer suggested that a letter from the federal government was all that was needed to bring Tepper back to Canada, but Ottawa quashed that suggestion and said it wouldn't be that easy.

Diane Ablonczy said in the House of Commons that it will take more than a letter to gain the release of Henk Tepper.

"The Lebanese government specifically dismisses the allegation that a simple letter would release Mr. Tepper and affirms that it must act in accordance with Lebanon's international legal obligations when faced with a request for extradition," Ablonczy said last week.

Tepper's sister and wife say they are in Ottawa to demand the federal government step in and end the nine-month detainment. They also have the support of two Liberal senators who visited Tepper last week in Beirut.

"The Henk Tepper I visit in Beirut has lost about 40 pounds and his eyes are red," describes Liberal Senator Pierrette Ringuette. "His back is curved as if he was carrying a 100-pound bag of potatoes on his back."

Tepper's supporters have been rallying for his safe return to Canada since he was detained, and they say Prime Minister Stephen Harper has the power to make that happen.

"In three different languages we have heard it from the authorities in Lebanon, that if the government of Canada was to make a request to Lebanon for the return of Henk Tepper to Canada, that request would take precedence over all other requests," says Liberal Senator Mac Harb.

But the federal government dismisses the notion that a simple letter could bring Tepper home, and his sister says he is distraught over the news.

"He said ‘how can this happen? I am Canadian. I went to Lebanon for them, to help them, and now they don't want to help me,'" says Harmein Tepper.

Tepper's wife, Ella, spoke to reporters briefly on Tuesday about the absence of her husband at this time of year.

"The hardest thing is being strong for your kids," says Ella Tepper. "It's very hard when you have to put your kids to bed while they're crying."

Family members say they hope Tepper will return home by Christmas morning, but they fear time is running out, with no sign of intervention from Ottawa.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Nick Moore and The Canadian Press