Alberta politician says Canadians detained in Ethiopia received bail

EDMONTON — An Alberta MP says 13 Canadians detained in Ethiopia have received bail.

Heather McPherson, the NDP’s international development critic and a former executive director of the Alberta Council for Global Cooperation, says she’s keeping a close eye on the situation.

“I am incredibly worried,” she said in an interview Tuesday.

The Alberta-based charity Canadian Humanitarian has said 10 Canadian volunteers, three Canadians on its staff and two Ethiopian staff members were in custody in the African country on allegations they were practising medicine without permission and had dispensed expired medication.

The charity has disputed the allegations.

McPherson says she has been receiving regular updates from Global Affairs Canada about the case in Gondar, a city in northern Ethiopia.

“It does seem that they have been given bail,” she said. “It does look likely that they will be able to be removed from the prison, which is great news.

“I would suspect that … there will be some process to that. I suspect that would not be an immediate thing.”

Global Affairs Canada could not immediately be reached for comment.

McPherson, who travelled to Gondar with Canadian Humanitarian in 2012, said it’s an organization that works to provide health care to the most vulnerable populations.

“My experience is that they would understand the need of treating all people with the same level of health care. They are accustomed to working in Ethiopia and they are accustomed to following the letter of what’s required.”

McPherson said she’s worried about the Canadians, including charity founders Dr. Richard Northcott and Deborah Northcott from Medicine Hat, Alta., and others from Alberta and British Columbia.

“This is a pretty trying thing,” said McPherson. “My first priority is making sure they are safe while they are in Ethiopia, making sure they are receiving as much support as we can give them through consular services and making sure the legal process … is done in a transparent way.

“For me, right now, the biggest concern is their welfare and their safety. I want to see these Canadians — all these Canadians —come home.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 3, 2020

Colette Derworiz, The Canadian Press