Canadian who spent 11 years in Ethiopian jail says government didn’t do enough to help

A Canadian who says he was unfairly imprisoned in Ethiopia in abysmal conditions for more than a decade wants an independent review of Ottawa’s actions in his case.

Ethiopian-born Bashir Makhtal tells a news conference today there were mistakes and lost opportunities in Canada’s efforts to protect him over the years.

READ MORE: Bashir Makhtal, Canadian man imprisoned in Ethiopia for 11 years, back in Canada

Makhtal settled in Canada as a refugee in 1991 and later moved to Kenya, opening a used-clothing business.

He was working in Somalia when Ethiopian troops invaded in late 2006.

Makhtal fled back to Kenya, but was detained along with several others at the Kenya-Somalia border.

He was later convicted of terrorism-related charges in Addis Ababa – proceedings his lawyer considers a kangaroo court that ignored important evidence.

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