Ethiopian Review

By Simengish Yekoye

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (SSinformer) – An Ethiopian court ruled yesterday that Ethiopian born Canadian citizen, Bashir Makhtal has to defend charges of terrorism made against him by prosecutor.
The charges against Bashir are inciting opposition parties to wage war against Ethiopian government, providing weapons and training for Somali citizens and Oromo National Liberation Front (ONLF) members in Eritrea and committing treason in Somali region by helping the Islam extremist groups formed in Somalia wage war against Ethiopia.
According to the charge, Bashir was caught when the extremist groups were beaten and when he was trying to escape to Somalia.
Bashir was allegedly held in secret detention for two years before he appeared to court. However, Bashir denies being a leader of ONLF or getting involved in any of the terrorism acts he is charged with.
He pleaded not guilty to: being a member of ONLF central committee; recruiting and training ONLF members at a military camp in Eritrea; leading a contingent of the ONLF in the field against the Ethiopian army in Ethiopia’s Somali region; and to collaborating with Somalia’s Union of Islamic Courts in Eritrea in an effort to overthrow the Ethiopian government.
Bashir was arrested crossing the border between Somalia and Kenya. His family says he was a business man trying to get away from the fighting in Somalia.
According to his lawyer, Gebreamlak Gebregiorgis, Bashir was transferred from military custody to a prison near Addis Ababa, Kality, two months before his appearance to court.
The court has given almost a month time for Bashir to come up with his defence and adjourned proceedings until May 16, 2009.
ONLF, founded in 1984, is fighting for the Somali-speaking population in Ethiopia’s oil-rich Ogaden region, saying it has been marginalised by Addis Ababa.
The Canadian embassy, which is following the case, declined to give any comment.