Jabarjaan Posted March 28, 2007 Sign here please for more info go to Here Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Instinct.Poet Posted March 28, 2007 uhm, how come we've never heard of why hisbeing detained? what has he done or accused of? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taliban Posted March 28, 2007 Originally posted by CLEVER-TREVOR: what has he done or accused of? His crime is not being Anglo-Saxon, blue-eyed, blond-haired, non-Muslim, iwm. His Western citizenship cannot rescue him. Don't bother with the petition, because another American brother whose country isn't trying to free him is in similar predicament: Amir Meshal U.S. isn't trying to free American jailed in Ethiopia Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Instinct.Poet Posted April 3, 2007 wow.. thanx taliban... such a harsh world... It's crazy, and nothing can be done. just watch and wait.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Taliban Posted April 3, 2007 Originally posted by CLEVER-TREVOR: such a harsh world... It's crazy, and nothing can be done. just watch and wait.. And there are some who are proud of their shining Western citizenship! Go figure:......... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xiinfaniin Posted April 5, 2007 Ethiopian official claims no knowledge of Toronto man allegedly in custody Canadian Press (CP) By Jim Bronskill Wednesday, April 04, 2007 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: CP, April 04, 2007 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
