An Ethiopian court has ordered the release of a Canadian man who was detained for more than a year and subjected to torture while imprisoned in Ethiopia. Esubalew Birhanie, 39, was arrested at Addis Ababa’s main airport in 2025 as he attempted to return to Toronto following a visit with family. Authorities accused him of supporting rebel groups in the Amhara region but held him without trial.

Birhanie, who had been employed as a ground technician at Toronto Pearson Airport for over two years prior to his arrest, endured physical abuse while in custody. He reported that police officers tortured him to extract a confession, including forcibly pressing him face down and stomping on his neck until he lost consciousness, followed by beatings with clubs and batons.

These allegations were substantiated by a nine-page report from the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission released earlier this year. The commission’s investigation confirmed that Birhanie suffered serious injuries caused by police officers and recommended a full criminal probe into the abuses, as well as compensation for the physical and psychological harm inflicted. Despite this, Birhanie remained incarcerated for an additional six months after the report before a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

Two main accusations were leveled against Birhanie during his detention. First, authorities claimed he had publicly criticized the Ethiopian government in a 2020 meeting in Toronto while discussing the situation of the Amhara people, who have faced violence and displacement in recent years. The court rejected this claim, affirming Birhanie's right to free expression. Second, police alleged that Birhanie made anti-government posts on Facebook. Birhanie contended this claim was fabricated, pointing out that police installed a fake Facebook account on his phone after arrest and deleted it to prevent verification. The judge ultimately found no credible evidence to support the social media allegations.

Human rights organizations have frequently cited Ethiopia's use of anti-terrorism laws to target dissidents, journalists, and political opponents. Corruption has also been reported as a factor in some detentions. Birhanie said police initially offered to release him in exchange for a bribe equivalent to approximately $23,000.

Birhanie was released from prison on October 8 but faced a travel ban preventing him from leaving Ethiopia. He spent two weeks in hiding before obtaining a court order to lift the restriction and returned to Toronto last week. He described his ordeal as "horrible and deeply traumatic," noting that he lost his home, employment, and health during his detention.

Now back in Canada, Birhanie is seeking medical care for chronic pain resulting from his mistreatment and is pursuing legal action against the Ethiopian government to obtain justice and compensation. He also faces the challenge of rebuilding his life, including finding new housing and employment.