The family of a New Brunswick potato farmer who has been jailed in Lebanon for nine months held a press conference on Parliament Hill Tuesday to call on the federal government to secure the man's release.

Henk Tepper's wife and sister were joined by two Liberal senators who have rallied to the man's cause: Pierrette Ringuette and Mac Harb.

They say Ottawa has not done enough to secure the man's release, despite the fact Tepper has been languishing in a Beirut jail since March 23 without being charged. Lebanese authorities accuse him of trying to sell rotten potatoes to Algeria in 2007, and arrested him under an international warrant.

Tepper denies allegations that he forged documents related to the export of potatoes from Quebec and Prince Edward Island. His lawyers say the potatoes were inspected to ensure they met Algerian standards before being shipped.

Both Ringuette and Harb visited Tepper last week, and report that his spirit, and his appearance, have suffered during his confinement.

"The Henk Tepper I visited in Beirut has lost about 40 pounds, his eyes are red, his back is curved as if he was carrying a bag of 100 pounds of potatoes on his back," Ringuette told reporters Tuesday.

Harb said Lebanese officials have indicated that should the federal government make a formal request for Tepper's return to Canada, "that request will take precedent over all other requests."

Last week, the federal government refuted that notion when it was brought forward by Tepper's lawyer, saying it will take more than a letter to secure Tepper's release.

"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," Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Diane Ablonczy said last week.

As his legal battle drags on, Tepper's farm in Drummond, N.B. remains under creditor protection as his lawyers devise a plan to deal with about $11 million in debt.

Tepper's sister, Harmein, told reporters Tuesday that her brother was distraught by the federal government's response to his plight.

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

Tepper's wife, Ella, spoke briefly at the Ottawa news conference, saying through tears that the hardest part of the ordeal for her is trying to be strong for her children.

"It's very hard when you have to try to put your kids to sleep at night and they're crying," she said.

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