BULLETIN: Omar Khadr Back in Canada

Omar Khadr has been repatriated to Canada from the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Khadr arrived at 7:40 AM EST, September 29, 2012, and will serve out the remainder of his sentence in Canada, pursuant to a plea bargain entered into between Khadr and U.S. prosecutors in 2010.

In an official statement, the Minister of Public Safety explained:

“Mr. Khadr was born in Scarborough, Ontario and is a Canadian citizen. Despite the fact that he has spend a relatively short period of time in Canada, as a Canadian citizen, he has a right to enter Canada after the completion of his sentence. The question before me is whether Mr. Khadr should return to Canada to serve the balance of his sentence in Canada.

[…]

I am satisfied the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada can administer Mr. Khadr’s sentence in a manner which recognizes the serious nature of the crimes that he has committed, addresses the concerns that I have noted above, and ensures the safety of Canadians is protected through appropriate programming during incarceration, and if parole is granted, through the imposition of robust conditions of supervision.

Mr. Khadr will serve the balance of his sentence in Canada”

theCourt.ca has covered Khadr’s legal journey extensively, including posts here, here and here. I have also written elsewhere on Khadr’s various avenues to redress for the handling of his file by the Government of Canada upon return. While the Minister’s decision today is a welcomed affirmation of the rule of law, Mr. Khadr’s saga is far from over and will be followed closely by us here at theCourt.ca.