13 detained Canadians granted bail: Local source

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - Thirteen detained Canadians, three staffers of an Alberta-based Canadian Humanitarian and ten volunteers, in Ethiopia have been granted bail, a judicial source said on Wednesday.

The Canadians were arrested last month for allegedly practicing medicine without permission and dispensing of expired medicines.

They have been granted bail but they are still in prison waiting for paper works getting processed, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

While Canadian Humanitarian denied the accusation saying the staffers and volunteers did in Ethiopia what they would have done in Canada and that they operate based on high standards of professionalism.

The Canadians are under detention in Gondar city of the country’s northern Amhara state.

In mid-February, Canadian President Justin Trudeau paid a visit both to Ethiopia and to the Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa during which he held talks with Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on revamping relations and cooperation between the two countries.