Ottawa

The long wait for Omar Khadr

Omar Khadr’s lawyers are seeking a judicial review of his application to return to Canada. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews received the application in April.

In October 2010, the Harper government assured the Obama administration that “Government of Canada is inclined to favourably consider Mr. Khadr’s application to be transferred to Canada to serve the remainder of his sentence, or such portion of the remainder of his sentence as the National Parole Board determines.” In October 2011, the Harper government managed to say both that it would respect the agreement between Mr. Khadr and the U.S. government and assert that that agreement had no bearing on the Harper government’s decision.

Mr. Toews says he’s still waiting for “relevant information.”

“I’m not going to make any decisions that would in any way jeopardize public safety. I have an obligation to satisfy myself that I have all of the relevant information before I make a decision,” Toews said in Saskatchewan. “At this point I do not have all the relevant information and I will not be pushed into making a decision that would have me consider less than the full facts.”

Omar Khadr was first captured by American forces in Afghanistan on July 27, 2002. He was transferred to Guantanamo Bay in late October 2002.

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