Originally published by Toronto Sun, 21 June 2010

By LAURA PAYTON

OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper is being pressed to help two Canadians rotting in prisons in China and Ethiopia by bringing up their cases when he sees the leaders of both those countries later this week.

Hussein Celil has been in prison in China since February, 2006, while Bashir Makhtal was jailed in Ethiopia in early 2007.

Supporters are calling for Harper to push Chinese President Hu Jintao and Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to release the men.

Both men’s families say they are being persecuted over politics: Bashir because his grandfather founded a group that fights for independence for Ethiopia’s Ogaden region and Celil because he advocates for Uighurs, a Chinese Muslim minority group.

Makhtal’s cousin says Canada should threaten to cut aid to Ethiopia, one of 20 countries where the government focuses international development money.

“I feel like we should use any leverage we have with the Ethiopians. Because it’s not fair what they’re doing to my cousin,” said Said Maktal, who spells his name differently from Bashir, adding Foreign Affairs officials are in touch with him every week. Transport Minister John Baird has been heavily involved in the case too.

Alex Neve, head of Amnesty International Canada, says Canada has pull with the Chinese too, including their interest in resources like oil and gas. And he says an intervention by the prime minister would carry more weight than meetings with officials.

Harper’s spokesman says there is no meeting scheduled with Zenawi.

“Obviously the prime minister is going to raise human rights with President Hu Jintao,” said Dimitri Soudas. “The prime minister’s view on this is that human rights should be raised in a frank but respectful manner.”

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http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/06/21/14467971.html