Ali Saeed says traces of explosives were inexplicably found on his hands during an airport security check. Officials have apologized. (CBC)

An award-winning human rights activist based in Winnipeg says he's now afraid to fly after security screeners at the city's airport found traces of an explosive compound on his hands during a random security check.

Ali Saeed was travelling to Colorado in January for a screening of a self-produced documentary detailing the story of his life, which included periods of being jailed and tortured as a political prisoner in the African countries of Ethiopia and Somalia.

While going through security at the James Richardson International Airport on his way to a U.S. departure gate, Saeed said he was pulled aside by officials with the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA).

His hands were swabbed with a chemical and then he had to place his hands into a machine, he said.

He was then told traces of trinitrotoluene – or TNT, an explosive material — were found.

He said he had no idea why his hands set off alarm bells.

'Is it human error, is it the machine error or am I being labelled because I'm Islam name?'—Ali Saeed

"She said, 'you have got contact with explosive material — TNT,'" Saeed told CBC News. "I don't know what TNT means. Is it candy, is it sandwich? I don't know what this explosive material is."

Saeed said he was allowed to board his plane and his return flight home to Winnipeg was uneventful, but he is concerned because CATSA told him the information about the incident will be kept on file for future reference.

He worries the information could come back to haunt him because of his activist past and Islamic-sounding name.

"Is it human error, is it the machine error, or am I being labelled because [of my] Islam name?" he wonders.

Policy not followed

In a letter to Saeed, CATSA apologized and admitted that officials at the airport broke protocol by telling him about their findings.

"CATSA's procedures stipulate that screening officers must not discuss an … alarm with passengers," the letter said.

"We are sorry that this is not what occurred. We extend our sincere apologies for the screening officers' actions and the stress it caused you."

On Tuesday, an agency spokesperson told CBC News that Saeed will not have any trouble travelling in the future, and will send him a letter telling him so.

In December, Saeed was awarded the 2009 Human Rights Commitment Award of Manitoba by the Manitoba and Canadian Human Rights Commissions for his work in sponsoring refugees from Ethiopia.