General

U.S. hands over Omar Khadr mental evaluation documents, lawyers await Toews’ decision

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews has received the documents he requested on Canadian Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr, the Canadian Press reports. Toews said he needed the videotapes and transcripts of the mental evaluations of Khadr from American military authorities in order to decide on Khadr’s application to transfer into Canadian custody. His office has said he will now review the documents before making a decision.

Khadr’s Canadian lawyers have said there is now no reason for the government to drag out the process any longer, as Canada already committed to taking Khadr into Canadian custody almost two years ago.

In 2010, Khadr plead guilty to war crimes and was sentenced to eight years in prison, one year in Guantanamo Bay, seven in Canada. He had already served 8 years in Guantanamo without trial. He was imprisoned in 2002, when he was 15 years old.

Despite his decade spent in prison, two mental-health reports done for the defence portray Khadr as non-radicalized and a good candidate for reintegration. A report done for the prosecution says that Khadr is unrepentant for his actions. Toews already had access to these mental health reports, and Khadr’s lawyers are frustrated with the minister’s continued indecision.

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