Bashir Makhtal's relatives fear he'll be tortured; they press Ottawa, politicians for aid

Debra Black, Toronto Star

Family members of Bashir Makhtal - a Canadian who had been deported from Kenya to Somalia - believe their worst fears have come true and the self-described used-clothing dealer is now in detention in Ethiopia.

Bashir Makhtal was arrested in late December as he tried to enter Kenya from Somalia with a Canadian passport. He was detained in Kenya and then deported to Mogadishu on Saturday - one of 30 prisoners taken in handcuffs and shackles.

Local news reports in Kenya allege he is a member of the Ogaden National Liberation Front, which is fighting for the independence of ethnic Somalis in eastern Ethiopia. Makhtal is originally from the Ogaden region, and his grandfather was one of the founders of the liberation group, family members say.

But relatives deny he has any connection to the group, saying he came to Canada in 1989 to get away from the troubles in Ethiopia. Makhtal lived in Toronto, studied computer programming and worked at CIBC and Bank of Montreal.

Makhtal's wife and family in Nairobi reached the Somalian government yesterday to ask about his status, said Said Maktal, a 35-year-old cousin of the detained Canadian.

A Somalian official told them that by the time the prisoners arrived, "another plane was waiting for them and they have been shipped to Ethiopia - to Gode," said Maktal.

It's a place that terrifies him. When Maktal was a child growing up, Gode was the place where people were sent to be tortured, he said.

If Bashir is in Ethiopia, it's even more important that Canada act quickly, Maktal said. He fears Bashir Makhtal will be tortured or executed.

Yesterday, Maktal met with his local MP and talked with Toronto lawyer Clayton Ruby about the case. He plans to contact NDP leader Jack Layton's office today and to continue to press the foreign affairs department.

A foreign affairs official repeated Sunday's statement that Ottawa "strongly objects" to the deportation of a Canadian citizen to Somalia and representations have been made in both Kenya and Ottawa.

January 23, 2007


 

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