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For Immediate Release
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Ottawa – Concerned Canadian Citizens will hold a press conference, in the Charles Lynch Press Conference Room, on Wednesday July 30th 2008 at 1:30 pm to bring the plight of Bashir Makhtal to the attention of the Government of Canada.
Mr. Bashir Makhtal, a Canadian citizen, has been illegally jailed in Ethiopia and held incommunicado without trail since January 2007. We demand proactive and appropriate measures from our government so as to avert any tragic and catastrophic outcome
We are particularly alarmed with new developments on Makhtal’s case:
▪ On July 9, 2008, Bashir Makhtal was brought to a military court, blind folded, where he was asked to confess to terrorism charges. When he refused to talk until he was allowed first to contact the Canadian High Commission Officers and is lawyer Mr. Makhtal was then given an ultimatum of 12 days to confess, or else;
▪ Subsequently, Bashir Makhtal was brought back to the military court on Monday July 21, 2008, where he was finally granted permission to meet with a Canadian High Commission Official, and was informed that he will be brought back to the military court in two weeks. We are seriously concerned about the fact that Bashir Makhtal, a civilian Canadian Citizen is being tried in a military court in Ethiopia.
In view of the Ethiopian Government’s dismal human rights record and its utter disregard of the due process of law for this case, it is possible that Mr. Makhtal is found guilty of these trumped charges and will face the death penalty without transparent and appropriate court of law.
In light of the foregoing, we want the government of Canada, particularly the Right Honourable Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs David Emerson to understand the seriousness of the situation and use the goodwill of their offices to intervene by demanding that Ethiopia respect international law and conventions. We also demand that Bashir Makhtal be allowed direct access to Consular services, legal representation, and transparent due process at appropriate court of law.
The Charles Lynch Press Conference Room, (130-S Centre Block)
For more information, please contact: Abdikadir Guled at 613-614-5006