| Bashir Makhtal | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977 Ethiopia |
| Status | Freed |
Bashir Ahmed Makhtal (Somali : Bashiir Axmed Makhtal; born 1977) is a Canadian citizen formerly held in an Ethiopian prison, where he was accused of terrorism and faced the death penalty. [1] [2] The Canadian government was criticized by several groups for its initial inaction on demanding Makhal's release, including Amnesty International. [3] [4]
Makhtal was born in Ethiopia to Somali parents, who had fled war-torn Somalia in 1972. [5] His grandfather was a founder of the rebel group Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which is classified as a terrorist organization by Ethiopia. In 1991, Bashir immigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he studied computer science at the DeVry Institute of Technology, later completing his bachelor's degree in Texas. [6] In 1994 he was granted Canadian citizenship, and was employed as a computer programmer by the Bank of Montreal and CIBC. [6]
In 2002, Makhtal travelled to the United Arab Emirates, from which he travelled to Djibouti, Kenya, Eritrea, and Somalia, selling clothing to support himself. [6] [7] In 2006, after Ethiopia's militarily intervention in Somalia, Canadian Foreign Affairs advised Canadians in Somalia to flee the impending conflict. [8] Makhtal flew to neighboring Kenya, but was arrested during the flight. After spending three weeks in Nairobi jail, [7] Makhtal was extraordinarily renditioned to the Ethiopian-backed government in Somalia, which extradited him to Ethiopia. [3] Makhtal was accused of being a member of the ONLF based on the prior membership of his grandfather, [9] [8] as well as collaborating with the Somali terrorist group al-Shabab. The Ethiopian government denied Makhtal representation in court by his Canadian lawyer, saying that Makhtal was already being represented by an Ethiopian lawyer. [10] [11] The Ethiopian court found Makhtal guilty of being a member of the ONLF and working with the Eritrean government to organize the financing, recruiting, and training of ONLF militants. [12] Several reports claimed that Makhtal was tortured by interrogators while in prison, [13] [14] though the Ethiopian government denied this. [15] In June 2007 he was able to have a letter delivered to his family. [8]
Throughout Makhtal's imprisonment, many people in Canada, including Makhal's family, called for his release. Makhtal's wife, Aziza Osman, campaigned for both his release and that of her uncle, who faced a similar renditioning. [16] In August 2009, Makhtal's Canadian lawyer announced that he would sue the Canadian government to force it to halt aid to Ethiopia unless Makhtal was released. [17] In December 2009, after the Ethiopian Supreme Court rejected Makhtal's appeal, his relatives in Canada asked Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to directly intervene in the case. [18]
On April 18, 2018, Makhtal was released from prison, and returned to Canada on April 21. [19] [20]
At the time of Maktal's imprisonment, the ruling Conservative Party was accused by the NDP and the Liberal party of not aiding non-white Canadians imprisoned in foreign countries. [5] [21] After being assured of Maktal's well-being in March 2008, the Canadian government sent Deepak Obhrai, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to Ethiopia in June to inquire about Maktal's situation. [22] [23] In February 2009, the Canadian government announced that it would seek Makhtal's release. [9]
Responding to accusations of human rights violations, the Ethiopian government accused Western countries of not condemning the attacks of the Ogaden National Liberation Front. [24] [25] [26]
But if a Canadian is unlucky enough to run into trouble with a country that Ottawa does not wish to offend, it is a different story. In those cases, the government says little and does less. If the Canadian is unpopular or lacks media-savvy supporters, the government pays even less attention.