The Ethiopian High Court in Addis Ababa sentenced a Canadian to life in prison Monday after finding him guilty of holding membership in an Ethiopian rebel group and engaging in terrorist activities.The court said it handed the maximum punishment to Bashir Ahmed Makhtal, a former Toronto resident, to deter other members of the Ogaden National Liberation Front.
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon had appealed to the court to ensure that Makhtal does not face the death penalty, which is banned in Canada.
Persons convicted of first degree murder in Canada get an automatic 25-year sentence.
Makhtal has denied that he is a member of the group, which is fighting for autonomy in eastern Ethiopia. His grandfather was one of the founders of the group.
Makhtal's Canadian lawyer, Lorne Waldman, called the Ethiopian proceedings a "kangaroo court" because they ignored evidence from Makhtal, who has been locked up for more than two years.
Makhtal, 40, settled in Canada as a refugee and later moved to Kenya, where he opened a used-clothing business.
He was in Somalia when Ethiopian troops invaded in late 2006. Makhtal was detained along with several others at the Kenya-Somalia border as he tried to return to Kenya.
Authorities deported him from Kenya to Ethiopia on Jan. 20, 2007.
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