Our top courts have ruled that Omar Khadr’s rights have been violated and he should be repatriated to Canada. Pleas from foreign ministers, Supreme Court verdicts and a request from President Obama to solve the problem have all been rejected by our prime minister.
Omar Khadr is the last Westerner and the youngest detainee left in Guantanamo Bay. He was arrested at 15 years of age and has been held in solitary confinement for most of those eight years in physical and emotional conditions that violate his basic human rights.
He has been abandoned by everyone. Does the son have to pay for the sins of the father? Why does our government not protect our Canadian citizens? Do we, as Canadians, support higher standards of human rights and justice? Do we believe it’s justice to leave Omar to face a military court because his father took him to Afghanistan three weeks before getting caught up in this situation?
Omar goes before a Military Court on Aug. 10 (or is it a Kangaroo Court?). He will not plead guilty for something he says he didn’t do. Will he get a fair trial?
A former justice minister says this will be the first trial of a child soldier in modern history and such a trial is prohibited under international law. International law considers a child to be 18 years and under.
I believe this will leave a black mark on Canada and will it leave us open to future terrorist attacks.
Where is our compassion, Prime Minister Harper?
Lynn Biluk
Red Deer