Omar Khadr’s lawyers push for repatriation

Omar Khadr’s lawyer are asking a federal court to force the government to decide on bringing him to Canada from Guantanamo Bay, where he has been detained for 10 years, Postmedia reports. Khadr has been eligible for transfer to Canada for the past nine months.

In 2010, Khadr pleaded guilty to killing an American soldier in Afghanistan in 2002 when he was 15 years old. He received an 8 year sentence, and the Canadian government indicated in November 2010 he might be transferred to Canada to serve the sentence.

Khadr’s lawyers believe that Public Safety Minister Vic Toews is dragging his feet. "[T]he Minister’s unreasonable delay . . . is an abuse of process," they said. They hope the court will require a decision to be made.

The Minister’s spokeswoman said "we do not comment on matters before the court."