Seven-year hunt for Lindhout’s kidnappers leads to Ottawa arrest
Somali man allegedly connected to group that abducted, raped and tortured freelance writer
A seven-year police investigation involving surveillance, wiretaps and undercover work culminated this week with a Somali man’s mysterious trip to Ottawa and his arrest in the kidnapping of Canadian freelance journalist Amanda Lindhout.
Ali Omar Ader was taken into custody Thursday night in Ottawa and charged with the unlawful confinement of Lindhout, who was abducted just days after arriving in Somalia and held for 15 months, along with Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan and a Somali translator and driver.
Lindhout and Brennan were kidnapped near Mogadishu on Aug. 23, 2008, and held until their dramatic nighttime release on Nov. 25, 2009. Lindhout would later write of her ordeal in a best-selling book, describing her brutal captivity where she was locked in an animal shed, chained around her ankles, sexually assaulted and routinely beaten.
She says she has since forgiven her captors and devoted much of her life to promoting peace in Somalia.
Abdifatah Elmi, who worked as the pair’s translator and fixer and was held for five months, said Friday night he was relieved by the arrest.
In a telephone interview from Nairobi, where he has lived since his release, Elmi said he had not spoken with Canadian police in the case but said he recognized Ader’s photo in the media Friday. “Some who were guarding us were young boys, but he was one of the big guys,” he alleged, adding that the suspect did not cover his face and was in the room at times when he was beaten and tortured.
The RCMP accused Ader of being one of the main negotiators for the kidnappers.
RCMP assistant commissioner James Malizia, who heads federal policing operations, said the investigation was complex, most notably because Ader lives in Somalia.
“This investigation posed a number of significant challenges as it was carried out in an extremely high-risk environment in a country plagued with political instability,” he told a brief news conference Friday morning.
Canada has traditionally had little presence in Somalia diplomatically or security-wise, despite the number of Somaliaborn Canadians who hold positions of power in the country, including the current prime minister.
Ader was formally arrested in Ottawa but Malizia refused to provide details of how he got there, or whether he had been taken out of Somalia by Canadian officials.
“I can tell you without going into too many details regarding the undercover operation that he was in Canada and had been here for a few days and we proceeded to arrest him right here in Ottawa,” Malizia said.
It is extremely difficult for Somali citizens to obtain a visa to travel to Canada, which suggests that if Ader wasn’t apprehended abroad, he could have come to Canada with the help of an undercover agent, or on a ruse.
There have been instances of foreign suspects that were duped into travelling, as part of undercover investigations — most notably the case where an alleged Somali pirate, known by his nickname, Afweyne, meaning “Big Mouth,” was lured to Belgium with the promise of being a consultant for a documentary based on his life.
He was arrested immediately at the Brussels airport for piracy and kidnapping.
Ader, a Somali national who has no residency status in Canada, stood emotionless with his arms behind his back during a brief court appearance by video link Friday, according to a report by The Canadian Press.
His case was adjourned until next Friday.
“We have very little information we can relay to you with confidence,” his lawyer Samir Adam told The Canadian Press.
“Because it’s so early in the process, we’re not really able to comment.”
Malizia said the police force had “great support” from the Department of Foreign Affairs and other federal agencies. He also thanked the Australian Federal Police (AFP) but he pointedly refused to say whether the Somali government knew about the investigation or provided any assistance.
Foreign affairs also refused to comment.
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney praised the RCMP for its work on the case.
“I want to congratulate the RCMP team that did this operation and also it’s a very clear message sent this morning to anyone who wants to attack Canadian citizens (that they) will face the law and they will have to face Canadian justice,” Blaney told reporters.
Brennan took to Twitter to comment on the RCMP announcement: “Incredible work by the Canadian Govt, RCMP & AFP on the arrest of Ali Ader. As it’s an ongoing investigation I’m unable 2 talk 2 media.”
Malizia said he had been in touch with Lindhout to tell her about the arrest.
He praised her resilience and the detailed witness statements provided by both of them.
Lindhout, who has become an inspirational speaker and started a non-profit organization promoting peace and stability in Somalia, said through a representative Friday that she was travelling and unable to comment.