For Immediate Release
Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Ottawa – Concerned Canadian Citizens will hold a press conference, in the Charles Lynch Press Conference Room, on Wednesday July 30^th 2008 at 1:30 pm to bring the plight of Bashir Makhtal to the attention of the Government of Canada.

Mr. Bashir Makhtal, a Canadian citizen, has been illegally jailed in Ethiopia and held incommunicado without trail since January 2007. We demand proactive and appropriate measures from our government so as to avert any tragic and catastrophic outcome

We are particularly alarmed with new developments on Makhtal’s case:

▪        On July 9, 2008, Bashir Makhtal was brought to a military court, blind folded, where he was asked to confess to terrorism charges. When he refused to talk until he was allowed first to contact the Canadian High Commission Officers and is lawyer Mr. Makhtal was then given an ultimatum of 12 days to confess, or else;

▪        Subsequently, Bashir Makhtal was brought back to the military court on Monday July 21, 2008, where he was finally granted permission to meet with a Canadian High Commission Official, and was informed that he will be brought back to the military court in two weeks. We are seriously concerned about the fact that Bashir Makhtal, a civilian Canadian Citizen is being tried in a military court in Ethiopia.

In light of the foregoing, we want the government of Canada, particularly the Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs David Emerson to understand the seriousness of the situation and use the goodwill of their offices to intervene by demanding that Ethiopia respect international law and conventions. We also demand that Bashir Makhtal be allowed direct access to Consular services, legal representation, and transparent due process at appropriate court of law.

The Charles Lynch Press Conference Room, (130-S Centre Block)

For more information, please contact: Abdikadir Guled at 613-614-5006

Gaadh'haye @ 8/3/2008 11:39 AM EST  Wiifgarow, The sad events of 1988 still cloud your thinking and judgment towards the Ogadens. Until that indelible history persists in your mind, we can not debate with you rationally.

wiifgarow @ 8/3/2008 8:19 AM EST  Ogadens & their supporters So anyone who expresses a different opinion to your clan whining is confused, jaajuus, amhar etc? Alla iskuulkaad cadaaladda ku barateen wacnaayee! Two things emerged from this story so far: ONLF' utter failure to win hearts & minds of non-ogadens(80% of the pop)and that Ethiopia still has to learn modern systems of open justice. If they have evidence against this man why not show it in open court? What are they hiding except injustice?

Camel Girl @ 8/1/2008 1:38 PM EST  Prayers and hope justice will be served for many who step in wrong doors the wrong time.

fiqicigaal @ 8/1/2008 1:15 PM EST  Guys , forgive me , let us not waste any  more time on this freak jigjiga man because it is obvious that the swine is full of hatred and it is more likely that his mental health illness was  aggravated by the recent successful ONLF operations on the enemy and he chose foolishly to take his anger and frostration on innocent decent human being like brother Bashir .

Gaadh'haye @ 8/1/2008 11:13 AM EST  Jig....Ethiopian man, You can write all the nonsense you want in this medium, but remember one thing: ONLF is going to expel your Abyssinian highlanders back to where they came from and liberate Ogadenia. No amount of insults from your kind will undue our JUST struggle for freedom. The land belongs to us, and we are going to reclaim it. In fact, we are going to make sure Oromos get their separate state; Southern People get their State, followed by the majority of oppressed Muslims in Ethiopia. We will see to it that Ethiopia disintegrates into tiny opposing fiefdoms. We shall then see where Tigrayans and Amharas like you will hide..