A decision on whether Omar Khadr will be allowed to serve the remainder of his sentence in Canada is expected to be made by the end of the year.
Addressing allegations that Canada has dragged its feet in approving the transfer, Public Safety Minister Vic Toews told CTV’s Power Play on Thursday that he’s yet to review all the documents needed to make his decision.
The U.S. agreed to the transfer during Khadr’s trial in October 2010, and in April Washington formally approved the transfer.
Toews came under fire after documents revealed that part of the delay in Khadr’s transfer was the minister’s request for sealed videos of Khadr’s mental assessments done for military prosecutors -- apparently only discovered in February through media reports.
“I’ve had a good relationship with the Americans but clearly if they want me to consider that application in a timely fashion, it’s not enough they bring forward the application as they did in April, but any relevant documents that would assist me in making that decision.”
Toews confirmed that he received the tapes on Sept. 5, but he’s yet to review them.
“Depending on what’s revealed on those tapes I’ll be in a position to make a decision on that in a fairly timely basis.”
He added that most prisoner transfer cases take nine months.
“From April, it takes us almost to the end of the year,” said Toews. “Whether I can get that done before then, we’ll see.”
However, Andrea Prasow with the Washington-based Human Rights Watch said news of the videotapes were brought to light during Khadr’s trial in 2010.
“This idea that the information was not available to the Canadian government I really think is false. It’s really disingenuous,” said Prasow.
She said Khadr should have been transferred to Canada a decade ago.
“He arrived in U.S. custody as a victim, someone who had been transported around the world and essentially forced to perform the role of a child solider,” said Prasow. “International law says when faced with children who are forced to be soldiers what countries are supposed to do is rehabilitate them and reintegrate them into society.”
She continued, “It’s 10 years too late, but it doesn’t mean that can’t happen for Omar now.”
Khadr was 15 when he was captured badly wounded and almost blind in the rubble of a bombed out compound in Afghanistan in July 2002. He was transferred to Guantanamo Bay a few months later, and has been held there since.
In October 2010 Khadr pleaded guilty to five crimes including murder in violation of the rules of war before a military commission.
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who has denounced Khadr as a convicted criminal, and Toews denied a news report that Canada had approved the transfer but was delaying the announcement.
With files from The Canadian Press
