Addis Ababa - An Ethiopian court on Monday jailed an Ethiopian-born Canadian citizen for life after he was found guilty of belonging to a rebel group.

Judges found that Bashir Makhtal was an active member of the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) - a group fighting to gain autonomy for Ethiopia's Somali region - when he was arrested in 2006.

Bashir was, however, spared the death penalty.

Rights groups have criticized Ethiopia for the way in which it detained Bashir and called the trial unfair.

Bashir was arrested in Kenya after fleeing Somalia when Ethiopia invaded its neighbour in 2006.

His family say he was simply selling second-hand clothes, but the court ruled that he was a member of the ONLF's central committee and helped recruit and train ONLF members. (dpa)