The Federal High Court of Ethiopia on Monday passed life imprisonment against an Ethiopian-Born Canadian man who was found guilty last week on terrorism charges.
Bashir Ahmed Makhtal was convicted of being a senior member of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), a rebel group that Ethiopia regards as a terrorist organization, and says supported by its neighbuoring foe Eritrea. The Ethiopian court has also found him guilty of collaborating with SomaliaÂ’s Islamist movement in their attempt to topple the Ethiopia government up on the jihad war they declared against Ethiopia, following invasion in 2006.
Prosecutors had wanted death penalty but court has rebuffed their demand as they failed to bring credible witness that could possibly lead convict to his execution. After subject was found guilty last week on all counts, Canada, significant aid donor to Ethiopia, sought assurances from Addis Ababa that death penalty is not applied.
Makhtal has denied all allegations against him and argues that he is just prosecuted for the one reason that his grandfather was one among the founders of the ONLF organization.
He was arrested in Kenya in December 2006 with dozens of other foreigners as part of a U.S.-led anti-terror sweep. A month later, Makhtal and the other detainees were flown to Ethiopia. Over subsequent months, the detainees were released without charge and repatriated to their countries all except Makhtal and one Kenyan, who has essentially been declared a non-citizen by Kenya. |