in association with
The Free Bashir Makhtal Working Group (Ottawa Chapter)

invite you to a Town Hall Meeting on the Bashir Makhtal case with Federal Cabinet Ministers John Baird and Jason Kenney 

The Bashir Makhtal case has been closely followed by Canadian Somalis who are concerned about the unjust treatment of Mr. Makhtal at the hands of Ethiopian authorities.  The Canadian Somali Congress and the Free Bashir Makhtal Working Group (Ottawa Chapter) have been lobbying both the federal government and opposition parties to assist the Canadian Somali community in its ongoing efforts to free Bashir Makhtal.  This Town Hall event will give Ministers Baird and Kenney the opportunity to update the community on the Canadian government’s efforts on behalf of Mr. Makhtal.  The event will also enable the Canadian Somali community to submit to the ministers further measures that the Canadian government can take in order to resolve this case.

Event details:

When:     Sunday February 22, 2009 at 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM
Where :   Ukrainian Banquet Hall
1000 Byron Avenue (Near the intersection of Richmond Rd. and Woodroffe Ave.)
Ottawa
Tel:613-722-1372
For information contact: Fowsia Abdulkadir at 613-736-7647, Mohamed Sofa at 613-808-6618 or Ahmed Hussen at 613-523-2656

Background information on the Bashir Makhtal case:
Bashir Makhtal lived in Toronto’s Riverdale neighborhood. He became a Canadian citizen in 1994. He worked as a senior programmer for two of Canada’s biggest banks, Bank of Montreal and CIBC.  From 2002 until December 2006 Makhtal conducted business outside Canada, in countries such as Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea and the United Arab Emirates.

On December 31st, 2006, Kenyan authorities detained Bashir Makhtal while he was attempting to cross the Kenya border from Somalia.  Kenya then proceeded to illegally render him to Ethiopia under extraordinary rendition laws on January 20th, 2007 and he continues to be held there to this day.