Documentary: Into the Darkness: Bashir Maktal, A Canadian Jailed Overseas

[Abdulladiif Al-Fiqih]

Part 1: Bashir Maktal, A Canadian Jailed Overseas

 

 

Documentary: Into the Darkness

 

A Canadian citizen, languishing in a foreign prison without being charged with a crime or appearing in a courtroom -- and never seeing a lawyer, or for that matter, a Canadian consular official. This was the experience of Bashir Maktal, who has been held in Ethiopia for more than 16 months. And no one in Ottawa or the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa wants to talk about his case.

 

The Current producer John Chipman investigated Bashir Maktal's story and joined us to talk about it.

 

 

Music

 

Hamza el Din -- Eclipse

 

 

Listen to Part One:

 

 

Part 2: Bashir Maktal, A Canadian Jailed Overseas - Documentary (Cont'd)

 

 

Documentary: Into the Darkness (continued)

 

Part two of our documentary about the case of Bashir Makhtal, produced by The Current's John Chipman.

 

Listen here

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Walaalkeen godkaas Xabashi ku jiro lagu ilooway, maskiinka. Darn ideologue Stephan Harper and his clique regime in power at Ottawa. I believe at least had the current prime minister being Afqalooc [Chretien], it would have been a bit different.

 

Eebba haka badbaadiyo ciqaabtaas uu ku jiro walaalkeena -- aamiin.

[Abtigiis]

Bashir Makhtal is the grandson of the great Makhtal Daahir. He hails from the legendary family reknown for its patriotism and rejection of Abyssinian domination. I am sure Bashir will be out sometime soon. Of course, our prayers and sympathies are always with him.

 

Who knows he can a be a MANDELA in the making. Noolow Bashir! Waan kuu soo ducaynaynaa walaal. Ilaahay dib ha isu keen tuso.

[Jacaylbaro]

A friend of mine was jailed in Jigjiga in the same prison he was held. She get to know him there and he gave her his family's contacts, she is the one who let the people know that he is alive.

 

Before that nobody knew his whereabouts and people thought he is killed.

 

 

Ilaahay ha ka soo saaro godka oo guul iyo wanaag ha ugu bedelo.

[Abdulladiif Al-Fiqih]

^Was that the early days of his capture mise wax cusubaad ka hadli JB?

 

MMA, you guys in Canada need to work extra hard, dawlada waa inaad pressure saartaan.

 

 

A&T, salaan sare awoow. Ii waran, waxaan maqlay macawistiibaa shalay laggaa xaday bal suun iyo wax soo gado oo adkee hada kadib.

[Faarax-Brawn]

It is Nelson Mandela who said, It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.

 

He prevailed and his people are free today and i am sure Bro Bashir is feeling the same way. He is being held because of his people. May Allah guide him...I'A he will be free one day,even if it take 27 years like Mandela.

 

All those petitions we signed nothing came off it huh? Why is the Canadian govt so reluctant? :mad:

[Abtigiis]

Abdilatif

 

War de waan ku waayee waa sidee? Salaan sare gudoon. Macawis way dhaaftay, arintaasi. Suun iyo wax walba hadda ka dib waan ku xidhi.

[Jacaylbaro]

Dad badan oo Soomaali ah iyo gaar ahaan Caa,iladii Bashiir makhtal ayaa ka naxay markii lagu soo oogay Xukun Dil ah bashiir oo ahaa wiil soomaliyeed oo ku nool wadanka Canada ka hor intii aan lagu qaban 2006 xadka u dhexeeya Keynia iyo Somali waxaana halkaas ka qabtay Ciidamada dalka Itoobiya.

 

Siciid Makhtal oo ah walaalkii ayaa ku tilmaamay mid ka baxsan sharciga Islaamka iyo weliba kan gaalada wuxuu yiri Itoobiya kuma dhaqmin sharciga Aduunka waxayna walaalkay ku haysataan waa sharci daro wuxuu ahaa nin baayacmushtar ah oo wax shaqo ah kuma lahayn denbigan lagu soo oogay.

 

Dowlada Itoobiya ayaa shalay ku dhawaaqday in Bashiir Makhtal uu ahaa Argagixiso oo sharciga u yaala dalka Itoobiya ah Dil lakiin kuma dhawaaqin in ay dilayaan iyo in kale weli.

 

Qareenka Bashiir Mr. Lorne Waldman ayaa isaguna ku tilmaamay sharci aan la qaadan karin oo meel ku dhac ku ah Aduunka wuxuuna yiri waxaa lagu Xukumay waa sharci daro mana ah mid aan anagu naqaano wuxuuna ugu baaqay in dowlada Itoobiya ay sii dayso Bashiir.

[Coloow]

Why is the canadian government not pressuring Meles the dictator, the butcherer of kids/women in Muqdisho, the supporter of the Da-bo-dhilif government in somalia? Canada could use her economic (aid) might.

[Geel_jire]

Canada is an American dabo-dhilif so unless uncle sam gives the green light the harper gov will sit on their thumbs.

 

realistically they couldn't do anything about the young kid who is in Guantanamo for which they got a lot of bad PR for ... what do you expect in this case which is outside the mainstream media, hell I would be surprised if anyone who is non-somali even knows about this case,

 

even the poodle ( blair ) managed to get british nationals out of that hell-hole ditto for J howard which just goes to show even in the list of dabo-dhilif governments AKA "coalition of the willing" Canada is on the bottom of the totem pole.

[Abtigiis]

I cannot comment on this one. I am overcome by emtions.Ah!!!!!!!!

[Cabdow]

 

Canadian government is a disgrace wallahi and i'm very much ashamed to be a canadian citizen right about now :mad: Allow ka nabad gali wallaalkeen Bashir Makhtal wayaanaha oo isagoo nabad qaba kusoo celi ehelkiisa iyo qaraabadiisaba...Amiin...Waa very sad wallahi!!

 

Please usoo duceeya, faataxadana usoo mara walaalkeen inuu ilaahey ka bad baadiyo xaq darada lagu haysto, jazaakumullah khairan.

[Abtigiis]

Bashir has the blood of his grandfather. He carries a family tradition of courage and survival. He will survive. It is gloomy, but I know he will.

 

Ilaahay baan u soo baryaynaa.

[Malika]

Baashir Makhtal,isnt the first citizen to be left out to hang by the Canadian Authorities,they had turned a blind eye to many that had been unjustly accused of any association with terrorism.

 

Could it be possible the Ethiopian or Kenyan authorites intentionally left out his Canadian citizenship on his detainee information and are holding him hostage as a Ethiopian[somali], so that they could retained him at their facilities,which the Ethiopian Goverment had also now found other new charges against him due to his origins.

 

But that could be easily sorted through the Canadian Consulate in Addis,if they wanted to though..arrg!

 

 

Caalol xumoo wallahi,Inshaallah all shall prevail one day!

[Cabdow]

 

 

Cabinet minister flies to Ethiopia (Toronto Star)

 

Canada’s Transport Minister John Baird has travelled to Ethiopia to lobby on behalf of a detained Canadian citizen.

 

Baird, MP for Ottawa West-Nepean, is in Addis Ababa for a mere 24 hours Wednesday to meet with Ethiopian officials about the case of Bashir Makhtal, a former Toronto man who has been convicted by an Ethiopian court and has been in jail there for just over three years.

 

Baird’s office confirmed late Tuesday night that he will be meeting with Ethiopia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Seyoum Mesfin, as well as Canada’s ambassador to Ethiopia.

 

But in the most extraordinary development, Baird is also slated to meet with Makhtal himself. And his office assured the Star that the meeting will take place.

 

In recent months Baird, who has a significant Somali population in his Ottawa riding, has been handling the case of Makhtal, an ethnic Somali who was arrested on the Kenya-Somali border in December 2006 and then rendered to Ethiopia in shackles on a top-secret flight at the beginning of 2007. He was held incommunicado for about 18 months before he was allowed to see either a lawyer or Canadian consular officials.

 

He was convicted of terrorism last summer, but his family members here have maintained his innocence, suggesting the Ethiopian court was not fair and that the government was only interested in Makhtal because he is the grandson of one of the co-founders of the Ocaden National Liberation Front.

 

Earlier this year Lawrence Cannon, Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, was also in Addis Ababa during the African Union Summit. During the summit he met with Ethiopian officials, including the Ethiopian Prime Minister, His Excellency Meles Zenawi, as well as the foreign affairs minister.

 

According to Foreign Affairs, Cannon discussed the Makhtal case with the foreign affairs minister, pressing for his human rights to be respected and for continued consular access.

 

Makhtal’s family here is relieved to hear Baird is in Ethiopia to press officials on his behalf. His cousin, Said Maktal (who spells his name differently), told the Star Wednesday: “This trip was what I have been waiting for.”

 

He added he sincerely hopes Baird can help bring his “brother” home.

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Great development!