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 April 4, 2007 -
18:35
By: JIM BRONSKILL
OTTAWA (CP) - The Ethiopian government says it doesn't know whether
a former Toronto man is being held in an Addis Ababa jail, despite
reports he has been imprisoned for weeks.
The Ethiopian Embassy said Wednesday that chaos in the East African
country has prevented officials from determining the whereabouts of
Bashir Makhtal.
Once there is enough order to determine the facts, Ethiopia will
provide "first-hand information to the Canadian government," said
Abdurahim Ali, an embassy spokesman in Ottawa.
Makhtal, a Canadian citizen born in Ethiopia, came to Canada as a
refugee and lived there for 10 years before moving to Kenya, where
he opened a used-clothing business.
He was on business in Somalia during the recent invasion by
Ethiopian troops. Makhtal fled back to Kenya, but was detained along
with several others at the Kenya-Somalia border.
A New York-based organization, Human Rights Watch, says Makhtal was
among at least 34 people deported to Somalia from Kenya on Jan. 20
aboard an African Express Airways flight to Mogadishu.
Makhtal was later shipped to Ethiopia, and Canadian officials have
unsuccessfully attempted to see him.
"We have made representations to the Ethiopian government, and we
continue to do so, to get access to Mr. Makhtal," said Foreign
Affairs spokesman Rejean Beaulieu. "And that's where we are at the
moment."
Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay recently tried to assure the
House of Commons that Canada was doing its best to assist Makhtal.
Human Rights Watch maintains that beginning in late December, Kenyan
security forces arrested at least 150 people of some 18 different
nationalities at border crossing points with Somalia. These
individuals were then detained in and around Nairobi for periods
that violated Kenyan law, the group says.
While held in Nairobi, intelligence officials, including American
authorities, interrogated several foreign nationals, Human Rights
Watch says. Subsequent deportations on a series of special flights
amounted to be a joint removal of individuals of "interest to the
Somali, Ethiopian or U.S. governments."
The group says it is "extremely concerned" that many of them face a
serious risk of torture or other mistreatment.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that CIA and FBI officers
hunting for al-Qaida militants have interrogated numerous detainees.
An FBI spokesman has said U.S. personnel were allowed limited access
by governments in the Horn of Africa to question prisoners as part
of anti-terrorism efforts.
In Ottawa, Ali denied detainees were being tortured in Ethiopia.
"This government is a democratic government. We respect the
international laws."
Makhtal's lawyer, Lorne Waldman, fears his client is at risk of
abuse.
"This guy is in extreme danger as long as he's not recognized as a
prisoner," Waldman said.
"I firmly believe that if enough pressure is put on the Ethiopian
government, he'll be acknowledged as a prisoner. But if we don't do
anything, the risk to him is extremely high."
Waldman noted Canada provides generous aid to Ethiopia, which should
be used to ensure co-operation of the country's officials.
"We have a lot of very strong levers that we can pull."
--Source: 570 News
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Do all the
good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you
can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to
all the people you can, as long as ever you can.
by John
Wesley |
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