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Canadian Held in Ethiopia Could Face Death Penalty
By Admin.
Jun 7, 2008, 14:27
'I was actually devastated. I had to stop the car I was driving.'—Said Makhtal, cousin of Bashir Ahmed Makhtal
Last Updated: Friday, June 6, 2008 | 6:43 AM ET Comments44Recommend34
A Canadian citizen who has been imprisoned in Ethiopia for more than a year has been charged with terrorism-related activities and could face the death penalty, CBC News has learned.
'I was actually devastated. I had to stop the car I was driving.'—Said Makhtal, cousin of Bashir Ahmed Makhtal
The Ethiopian Embassy in Canada confirmed the charges against Bashir Ahmed Makhtal, a self-described used clothing dealer.
It's the first time any Ethiopian officials have spoken about the case of the Toronto man, who was arrested in December 2006 at the Kenyan border after fleeing Somalia in the wake of that country's civil war.
Speaking to CBC's The Current, an official at the Canadian Embassy in Addis Ababa said Makhtal had appeared in court twice so far this year in connection with his arrest. The official had no other details.
In a letter smuggled out of prison more than a year ago, Makhtal described being arrested and interrogated by Ethiopian troops while in Kenyan jails before being sent to Ethiopia in late January 2007.
As he was brought to a plane bound for the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, he said he screamed he was a Canadian citizen and asked to be deported to Canada.
Makhtal's lawyers and family have said they fear for his safety in Ethiopian hands. He's originally from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, an ethnic Somali enclave where his grandfather founded a rebel separatist movement.
His cousin, Said Makhtal, who lives in Hamilton, Ont., said this latest development is the worst possible news.
"I was actually devastated. I had to stop the car I was driving," he said after hearing about the charges.
He also said the Canadian government has not done enough to help his cousin.
Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai, parliamentary secretary to the minister of foreign affairs, travelled to Ethiopia in March and was given assurances that Makhtal was alive and well.
Ethiopia has a large military presence in Somalia, after providing the muscle that enabled a weak secular government to defeat Islamist forces formerly in control of much of the country.
Related News:
Family Scrambles for News of Mr. Makhtal, Canadian Detainee
Debra Black
STAFF REPORTER
Jun 06, 2008 04:30 AM
The family of a Canadian who has been imprisoned in Ethiopia for almost 18 months is desperately scrambling to confirm reports that Ethiopia has charged him with "terrorist activities" and that he is now on trial.
Bashir Makhtal, a former Torontonian who was arrested in late December 2006 on the Kenya-Somalia border and sent to Ethiopia in late January 2007, has been charged with being a member of the leadership of a rebel separatist group with alleged ties to Al Qaeda and being involved in terrorist activities, according to federal NDP foreign affairs critic Paul Dewar.
Makhtal's cousin, Said Maktal, said he's heard nothing about the charges or trial and has been unable to confirm reports with Canadian officials or relatives in Ethiopia.
"It really makes me nervous," Maktal said. "I can't even breathe ... The only thing I see is the life of my cousin is really in danger."
A foreign affairs department spokesperson was unable to give any information related to reports of charges or a court case yesterday.
The reports come on the heels of a statement by Canada's parliamentary secretary for foreign affairs on Wednesday who said he flew to Ethiopia in March to press the case for consular access for Makhtal who has been held incommunicado since his detention in Addis Ababa.
Calgary Conservative MP Deepak Obhrai said officials told him Makhtal was in "good health" and was being treated humanely. Obhrai did not return calls yesterday.
Dewar said he was told by an Ethiopian embassy official in Ottawa yesterday that Makhtal was arrested for being a member of the Ogaden National Liberation Front and part of their leadership and he was now facing charges of terrorism in a civilian court and that the court case was already underway.
Dewar said the embassy official told him that "following due process, he (Makhtal) will be convicted and a sentence will be handed down." Depending on the outcome of the trial, Makhtal, who is in his early 40s, could face six to 12 years in prison, Dewar said he was told.
Dewar said the official also told him the Ogaden front was affiliated with a terror group in Somalia known as Al-Shabab and that group had links to Al Qaeda. Makhtal is originally from the Ogaden region of Ethiopia, where his grandfather started a separatist movement.
It's nothing more than "guilt by birth," said Dewar. He quoted Ethiopian officials saying: "This is part of the international war on terror and he (Makhtal) should be seen in that light."
Dewar believes it's time for Ottawa to intervene. "The question is, what is the Canadian government doing now to protect Bashir's rights and why aren't they bringing him home in light of the fact this is a case of rendition," he said.
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Source: The Star
Related News:
Documentary: Into the Darkness
Part 1: Bashir Maktal, A Canadian Jailed Overseas
Listen to Part One:
&
Listen to Part Two:
A Canadian citizen, languishing in a foreign prison without being charged with a crime or appearing in a courtroom -- and never seeing a lawyer, or for that matter, a Canadian consular official. This was the experience of Bashir Maktal, who has been held in Ethiopia for more than 16 months. And no one in Ottawa or the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa wants to talk about his case.
The Current producer John Chipman investigated Bashir Maktal's story and joined us to talk about it.
Part 2: Bashir Maktal, A Canadian Jailed Overseas - Documentary
Documentary: Into the Darkness
Part two of our documentary about the case of Bashir Makhtal, produced by The Current's John Chipman.
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