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Canadian in Ethiopia guilty in separatism case

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Debra Black
Staff Reporter


Bashir Makhtal

Bashir Makhtal, a Canadian citizen who has been in jail in Ethiopia for the past two and a half years, has been found guilty in a court in Addis Ababa of charges relating to his involvement in a local separatist movement.

Makhtal, who lived and worked in Toronto until June 2002, moved to Kenya to build a used clothing business with a fellow Canadian in Djibouti. He had been working as a full time employee at the CIBC Bank in the Investment and Trade department prior to his move.

But in December, 2006 he was arrested on the border of Somalia and Kenya as he and others were fleeing unrest in Mogadishu. He was taken to Nairobi where he was questioned and was supposed to appear before a judge. But before that case could be heard, he was sent to Addis Ababa in mid January, 2007 where he has been in jail ever since.

It is believed that Ethiopian officials were interested in him because he is the grandson of one of the founders of the Ogaden National Liberation Front.

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His name had appeared on a list of ONLF members, according to court statements. But Makhtal testified that was an error and he had a letter from ONLF officials stating that he was not a member. Other allegations in court against Makhtal included that he was a training coordinator, commander of a Somali camp in Eritrea and field representative of east Africa.

In court Makhtal said it was difficult for one person to accomplish all those jobs. And that he never was and never wanted to be an ONLF member. He declared, according to notes taken in the court room and sent to relatives here through Foreign Affairs, that he never was and never wanted to be an ONLF member. He declared: "In fact, I am a victim of the ONLF."

Makhtal is to be sentenced next week.

His family here was devastated by the news, but hope that this means the Makhtal will finally be released to Canadian officials after his sentencing in Addis Ababa and eventually sent home.

Bashir's lawyer here in Toronto Lorne Waldman said: "The decision is hardly surprising, but disappointing. None the less this is the time when we have to be the most vigilant if we're going to get Bashir home. It's up to the Canadian government now. It has to intercede and get him home."

Source: Toronto Star, July 27, 2009

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