Bashir Makhtal

Last updated
Bashir Makhtal
Born1977
Ethiopia
StatusFreed

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]

Contents

Biography

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]

Reactions

Canada

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]

Ethiopia

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]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somali Region</span> Regional state in eastern Ethiopia

The Somali Region, also known as Soomaali Galbeed and officially the Somali Regional State, is a regional state in eastern Ethiopia. Its territory is the largest after Oromia Region. The regional state borders the Ethiopian regions of Afar and Oromia and the chartered city Dire Dawa to the west, as well as Djibouti to the north, Somalia to the northeast, east and south; and Kenya to the southwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogaden</span> Historic name of Somali Region, Ethiopia

Ogaden is one of the historical names used for the modern Somali Region. It is also natively referred to as Soomaali Galbeed. The region forms the eastern portion of Ethiopia and borders Somalia. It also includes another region to the north known as Haud.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogaden National Liberation Front</span> Political party in Ethiopia

The Ogaden National Liberation Front is a social and political movement, founded in 1984 to campaign for the right to self-determination for Somalis in the Ogaden or Somali Region of Ethiopia. The armed wing of the ONLF waged an insurgency against the Ethiopian government from 1994 to 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Ethiopia</span>

According to the U.S. Department of State's human rights report for 2022, there exists "significant human rights issues" in Ethiopia. In addition to extrajudicial killings and instances of "enforced disappearance", other human right issues in Ethiopia include arbitrary arrest, the censorship and unjustified arrests of journalists, the use of child soldiers, and more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogaden (clan)</span> Somali clan

The Ogaden is one of the major Somali clans in the Horn of Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">War in Somalia (2006–2009)</span> Ethiopian invasion and military occupation of southern and central Somalia from 2006 to 2009

The Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, also known as the Ethiopian occupation of Somalia or the Ethiopian intervention in the Somali Civil War, was an armed conflict that lasted from late 2006 to early 2009. It began when military forces from Ethiopia, supported by the United States, invaded Somalia to depose the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and install the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). The conflict continued after the invasion when an anti-Ethiopian insurgency emerged and rapidly escalated. During 2007 and 2008, the insurgency recaptured the majority of territory lost by the ICU.

Degehabur is a town in the region of Somali galbeed in Ethiopia. It is located in the Jarar Zone of Somali galbeed. Degehabur sits at 1044 meters above sea level. The town is the administrative center of Degehabur woreda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raid on Abole oil exploration facility</span> 2007 armed attack in Somali Region, Ethiopia

The raid on Abole oil exploration facility occurred in the early morning of 24 April 2007, when insurgents of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) attacked the oil exploration facility in the town of Abole, 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Degehabur, in the Somali Region of Ethiopia. The facility was operated by Zhongyuan Petroleum Exploration Bureau (ZPEB), a subsidiary of the China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) which was contracted on behalf of Malaysian oil and gas multinational Petronas.

The Ogaden Basin is an area of Huwan that may hold significant reserves of crude oil and natural gas. The basin covers an area of some 350,000 square kilometres and is formed from sedimentary rocks up to 10,000 meters thick. It has geological similarities to other hydrocarbon-rich basins in the Middle East.

Werder is a town in eastern Ethiopia. Located in the Werder Zone of the Somali Region, Werder has a latitude and longitude of 6°58′N45°21′E with an elevation of 541 meters above sea level. It is the administrative center of Werder woreda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2007–2008 Ethiopian crackdown in Ogaden</span> Military campaign of Ethiopian Army against the Ogaden National Liberation Front

The 2007–2008 Ethiopian crackdown in Ogaden was a military campaign by the Ethiopian Army against the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). The crackdown against the guerrillas began after they killed over 60 Ethiopian troops and several foreign workers during a raid on a Chinese-run oil exploration field in April 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insurgency in Ogaden</span> Armed conflict for self determination in the Ogaden region from 1992 to 2018

The Insurgency in Ogaden was an armed conflict that took place from 1992 to 2018. It was waged by nationalist and islamist Somali insurgent groups seeking self determination for the region, primarily the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and Al-Itihaad Al-Islamiya (AIAI). The war in the region began in 1992, when the Ethiopian government attacked AIAI in an attempt to suppress the growth of the organization. In 1994, the ONLF commenced its armed struggle and began publicly calling for an independent 'Ogadenia' state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohammed Omar Osman</span>

Admiral Mohamed Omar Osman is a Somali admiral, war hero and the incumbent chairman of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Somaliland</span>

Human rights in Somaliland are protected by Chapter one, Part three of the Constitution of Somaliland. Somaliland is an unrecognised sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, internationally considered to be part of Somalia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Schibbye</span> Swedish journalist and former editor (born 1980)

Martin Karl Schibbye is a Swedish journalist and former editor. After an assignment in the conflict-ridden Ogaden region of Ethiopia he was sentenced to eleven years in prison for terrorist crimes on December 27, 2011, but was later pardoned and released on 10 September 2012. He was held at the notorious Kaliti Prison.

Ethiopian judicial authority v Swedish journalists 2011 was about the legal proceedings relating to claims that Swedish journalists Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye were supporting terrorism in Ethiopia. Relations between Sweden and Ethiopia were seriously affected by this case. In 2011, Ethiopia was claimed to detain more than 150 innocent people, including reporters. Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye were released in September 2012 as part of a mass pardon, and returned home to Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdi Mohamoud Omar</span> Somali-Ethiopian politician; President of Somali Region from 2010 to 2018

Abdi Mohamoud Omar also known as Abdi Ilay is an Ethiopian politician who was serving as president of the Somali Region in Ethiopia from 2010 to 2018 and was a member of the ruling regional party Ethiopian Somali People Democratic Party (ESPDP), as well as a number five of the Meles Zenawi Foundation. However, he was removed from his positions and arrested a few months after Abiy Ahmed assumed office.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mohamed Sirad Dolal</span> Ethiopian rebel

Dr. Mohamed Sirad Dolal was an academic and a member of the central committee and executive council of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a liberation movement in Ogaden determined to free its homeland from Ethiopia.

The 1995 Ethiopian Federal Constitution formalizes an ethnic federalism law aimed at undermining long-standing ethnic imperial rule, reducing ethnic tensions, promoting regional autonomy, and upholding unqualified rights to self-determination and secession in a state with more than 80 different ethnic groups. But the constitution is divisive, both among Ethiopian nationalists who believe it undermines centralized authority and fuels interethnic conflict, and among ethnic federalists who fear that the development of its vague components could lead to authoritarian centralization or even the maintenance of minority ethnic hegemony. Parliamentary elections since 1995 have taken place every five years since enactment. All but one of these have resulted in government by members of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) political coalition, under three prime ministers. The EPRDF was under the effective control of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which represents a small ethnic minority. In 2019 the EPRDF, under Abiy, was dissolved and he inaugurated the pan-ethnic Prosperity Party which won the 2021 Ethiopian Election, returning him as prime minister. But both political entities were different kinds of responses to the ongoing tension between constitutional ethnic federalism and the Ethiopian state's authority. Over the same period, and all administrations, a range of major conflicts with ethnic roots have occurred or continued, and the press and availability of information have been controlled. There has also been dramatic economic growth and liberalization, which has itself been attributed to, and used to justify, authoritarian state policy.

References

  1. ↑ Thomas Walkom (June 14, 2007). "Double standard for Canadians in trouble abroad". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. 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.
  2. ↑ Debra Black (2012-12-27). "Negotiations under way to bring imprisoned Bashir Makhtal back to Canada". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2013-01-02.
  3. 1 2 CBC, "Group worries execution close for Canadian held in Ethiopian jail Archived 2008-07-30 at the Wayback Machine ", July 17, 2008
  4. ↑ "Call for action by Canada and Ethiopia on Canadian rendition case". Amnesty International. 2007-11-22. Archived from the original on 25 November 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  5. 1 2 Jack Layton (January 24, 2007). "MacKay must intervene in case of Canadian held abroad: Bashir Makhtal case echoes those of Arar, Celil". New Democratic Party. Archived from the original on 2007-11-14. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  6. 1 2 3 Friends and Family of Bashir Makhtal, Biography of Bashir Makhtal Archived 2008-07-05 at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1 2 Debra Black (February 4, 2007). "Family fears for deported man's life: Kin queried as Somali-Canadian held in Ethiopia". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  8. 1 2 3 Thomas Walkom (November 29, 2007). "Why is PM forgetting Makhtal?". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 1 December 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  9. 1 2 Vancouver Sun, Conservatives pressure Ethiopia to free jailed Canadian Archived March 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine , February 23, 2009
  10. ↑ Lorne Waldman (May 4, 2007). "Canadian Ethiopian". CBC Radio. Archived from the original on 2007-11-20. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  11. ↑ "Bashir appears in Ethiopian court with lawyer". 19 March 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-03-22. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  12. ↑ "Canadian jailed for life". Archived from the original on 2009-08-07. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  13. ↑ Debra Black (May 21, 2007). "Where is Bashir Makhtal?". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2012-10-10.
  14. ↑ "Ethiopian Canadian – Lawyer". CBC. April 11, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-06-02. Retrieved 2007-06-13.
  15. ↑ "8 terrorism suspects put on Ethiopian TV". Archived from the original on 2009-09-30. Retrieved 2009-05-13.
  16. ↑ "Kenya deports Somalis without trial". Al Jazeera. February 16, 2007. Archived from the original on April 3, 2007. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  17. ↑ "Lawsuit aims to compel Ethiopia to release Canadian". Archived from the original on 2009-08-08. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
  18. ↑ ""Ethiopia strikes down appeal by imprisoned Canadian - Ottawa prepared to help after terror conviction, life sentence upheld"". Toronto Star . 5 December 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-10-19. Retrieved 2017-08-24.
  19. ↑ "Canadian citizen arrives back in Canada after 11 years in Ethiopian prison". Toronto Star. 21 April 2018. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  20. ↑ "Amnesty International Welcomes Canadian Citizen Bashir Makhtal's Release from Ethiopian Prison and Return to Canada". amnesty.ca. Archived from the original on 23 April 2018. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  21. ↑ Sgro, Judy, Liberal Party of Canada, Hansard: 39: 2d Session Archived 2011-06-04 at the Wayback Machine , June 19, 2008
  22. ↑ "Canadian Held in Ethiopia Could Face Death Penalty". Somali Herald. 2008-06-07. Archived from the original on 2008-12-04. Retrieved 2008-07-29. mirror
  23. ↑ "Canadian in Ethiopia terror case". BBC News. March 19, 2009. Archived from the original on March 22, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
  24. ↑ ONLF and "Terrorism double standards" Archived December 30, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  25. ↑ "Concerns of double standards with Makhtal case". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  26. ↑ "concerns of double standards with Makhtal case". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.