Journalist tells court of trauma from abduction in Somalia
OTTAWA — Amanda Lindhout fought through tears Wednesday as she told a hushed courtroom how she suffers from crippling flashbacks and sometimes wakes up screaming, part of the emotional legacy of her 15-month kidnapping ordeal in Somalia.
Testifying at a sentencing hearing for convicted hostagetaker Ali Omar Ader, Lindhout said the sexual assault, beatings and emotional trauma she suffered in captivity filled her with pain and self-loathing.
“I was a young woman wanting to rebuild my life,” Lindhout said. “But the abuse had made me hate myself.”
Ader, a 40-year-old Somali national, faces a potentially lengthy prison sentence after being convicted of hostagetaking late last year.
Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Smith ruled that Ader was a “willing participant” in the 2008 kidnapping of Lindhout, who was working as a freelance journalist near Mogadishu at the time.
The judge found little to believe in Ader’s testimony, saying it did not support his claim that he was forced into serving as a negotiator and translator on behalf of a gang who threatened to harm him and his family.
Samir Adam, one of Ader’s lawyers, said a sentence of 10 to 12 years in prison would be appropriate. The Crown is seeking a sentence of 15 to 18 years, and suggested the judge invoke a provision that would require Ader to serve half of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
Smith is scheduled to sentence Ader on June 18.
Lindhout, raised in Red Deer, Alta., and photographer Nigel Brennan of Australia were snatched by armed men while pursuing a story, the beginning of 15 months as hostages. Both were freed in November 2009 upon payment of a ransom.
Years after their release, the RCMP lured Ader to Canada on the pretext of signing a lucrative book-publishing deal, leading to his arrest in Ottawa in June 2015. He acknowledged to undercover officers that he had received $10,000 for his role in the kidnapping.
As negotiator for the gang, Ader held many long-distance telephone conversations with Lindhout’s mother, Lorinda Stewart.
Brennan also read a victim impact statement, saying he also has suffered from posttraumatic stress, panic attacks and nightmares.
Ader read a statement expressing remorse, saying he was human and therefore flawed. “I am sorry, I apologize and ask you for forgiveness,” he said, requesting freedom so he can care for his family in Somalia.